


Heart of a Chao

by NetRaptor



Series: NetRaptor's AU Sonicverse [15]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Needs More Dinosaurs!, Velociraptors, World War, battle anime, evil robots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-20
Updated: 2017-04-20
Packaged: 2018-10-21 11:45:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 72,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10684641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NetRaptor/pseuds/NetRaptor
Summary: Seven chao eggs arrive in Knothole, and the hatchlings imprint on Sonic and his friends. At the same time, Metal Sonic and Robo Knux have created a new robot--a huge robot velociraptor who is both super-intelligent and super-ruthless. He builds an army and begins a huge war against Mobius. Sonic, his friends, and their swiftly-growing chao are the only ones who have a prayer of stopping him--if they can discover the velociraptor's only weakness.





	1. Chapter 1

The screech of laserblasts tore the warm afternoon air, echoing off the rocky hillside. Slasher beat her way toward the sounds and murmured through clenched teeth, "I hope I'm not too late!" 

The Freedom Fighter village of Knothole had received a transmission the previous day from Sapphire City, the city the water monster Chaos had all but leveled the year before. The message said that a 'secret weapon' was being delivered to Knothole for safekeeping. 

The courier had been scheduled to arrive the evening before. When he did not, Slasher was dispatched to look for him. Word of a 'secret weapon' was too serious to risk the messenger getting lost. 

The winged velociraptor had scouted the southward paths all morning without success. Then it occurred to her that if a scout were trying to sneak into Knothole, they might try the east trail, which wound its way through a wide canyon at the foot of the mountains. She took to the sky at once to investigate her hunch. 

The sound of laserblasts and hoarse shouting affirmed the big raptor's fears; the courier had been spotted by bandits. Once these bandits had been a mountain Freedom Fighter band, but they had found highway robbery more profitable than fighting Robotnik. Hence the reason few ventured to use the east trail anymore. 

She soared silently over the canyon, a prehistoric silhouette against the afternoon sun, keen eyes sweeping the ground. Four figures were crouched on the canyon's rim, and three more were sliding down the sloping wall toward a lone crumpled figure in the road below. She was too late. 

Enraged at herself for being so slow, and fearful lest the bandits loot their victim, she folded her wings and dropped with a hideous shriek upon the thieves on the cliff. They fell on their faces in terror, trying to point their weapons toward their attacker. The big raptor kickslashed the weapons from their hands and pounced on one of them, snarling. 

The other bandits on the cliff fled in opposite directions. The three who had reached the canyon floor saw Slasher and made a break for it, as well. One dashed toward the fallen courier, probably intending to carry off what booty he could. Slasher saw him, leaped off the cliff and glided at him, wings flared, jaws open and claws extended. The raccoon yelped and fled down the ravine, deciding instead to save his skin. The big raptor pursued him on foot. Their footsteps faded into the distance, and quiet returned to the canyon. 

A few minutes later Slasher returned, panting, jaws and claws stained crimson. She was sorry she had not killed all the bandits, the thieving scoundrels. She walked to the courier. He was a badger, lying on his face. She rolled him over for a look at him. To her surprise his eyes opened and his gasped, "Are you Slasher?" 

"Yes," she replied. "Lie still. You're bleeding." He had been shot in the thigh and the side of his chest. His backpack was lying nearby, so the raptor grabbed it, opened it and pulled out a belt. This she cinched tightly around his leg as a tourniquet. The chest wound, however, was more serious; he was likely bleeding internally. The badger struggled for a breath and gasped, "Did they get the weapon?" 

"What did it look like?" Slasher asked, looking around for a gun of some sort. 

"The basket!" said the badger. 

A wicker basket the size of an ice chest lay among the rocks a short distance away. Slasher loped away, picked it up and carried it back. It was neither light nor heavy. Curiously she undid the catch and opened the lid a crack. The tips of seven large eggs protruded from tightly packed straw. 

The raptor locked the catch and set the basket next to the wounded badger. "This has eggs in it," she told him. "Where's the weapon?" 

The badger stroked the side of the basket and did not answer for a moment. "That's it," he muttered at last, and sank to the ground in a faint. 

* * *

"Eggs?" Sonic said in disbelief. 

Slasher had appeared fifteen minutes earlier, carrying the wounded courier in her arms and a large basket in her teeth. She landed in the village and rushed into Sally's hut. A moment later she emerged, still carrying the badger, but lacking the basket. She took to the air again and vanished into the southwestern sky. 

Sonic and Tails watched this from a distance, and all curiosity, ran to Sally's hut. 

They found the squirrel on her knees beside the basket, reading from a stack of stapled papers. She looked up with a smile as the blue hedgehog barged in, his sidekick behind him. "I figured you guys would show up soon." 

"What's that?" Sonic asked, pretending to ignore her and kneeling beside the mysterious basket. 

"Is it the secret weapon?" Tails chimed in, plopping on Sally's bed and bouncing up and down. 

"Tails, don't do that!" Sally scolded in mock anger. "Yes, this is the weapon, although it isn't at all what I expected. Sonic, take a look." 

Sonic obediently flipped open the basket, and the three gazed at the seven eggs packed in the yellow straw. "Eggs?" Sonic said in disbelief. "That's it? Where's the bomb?" 

"Maybe that's it!" Tails exclaimed, trotting up and touching the shells. "Maybe they're--you know, dragon eggs or something." 

"Close, Tails," Sally said, paging through the stack. "Either of you know what a chow is?" 

"A chao?" Sonic said, looking up suddenly. "Hey yeah! Tails, remember the ones that calmed Chaos?" 

Tails's eyes brightened. "Yeah! And these are chao eggs? Cool! Can I have one?" 

"Hey pipsqueak, _I_ get first pick!" 

"No use getting greedy," said Sally peaceably. "The instructions say that we're supposed to raise them together. Nobody gets their own." She looked down at the papers. "It says that the way you hatch them effects how they turn out. And these will hatch in a day or two." Sally paused a moment, eyes scanning the page. "But we're supposed to put the eggs in different environments as soon as he get them." 

"Cool," said Sonic. He and Tails were already unpacking the eggs. Each was the size of a football. The shells were speckled with blue at one end and yellow at the other, the exception being the seventh egg, which was a dirty grey. 

"Is this a chao, too?" Tails asked, holding it up. 

"The documentation says so," Sally replied. She took it from him and turned it over in her hands. "It's the same as the others but for color, anyway," she said, setting it down among the others. "Sonic, run get a pan from the kitchen and fill it with water. Two eggs have to soak." Sonic departed at an eager run. 

"Tails, take two eggs and put them in your windowsill, where it's really wide. Two have to sit in the sun until they bake, it says." 

Tails took an egg in either hand and looked at the remaining three, the two normal ones and the grey one. "What about those?" 

"Those," said Sally with a sigh, "stay in a cool dry place until they hatch." 

* * *

For two days the eggs sat in their various locations in the village; two in Tails' window, two in a bowl of water in a corner of the community hut, and three on the bottom shelf of the pantry in the kitchen hut. During these two days the eggs received more attention than the seven chaos emeralds. Everyone had heard the story of the chao from Station Square who had checked the mighty perfect Chaos in the midst of his destruction, and everyone wanted to see one. Over and over Sally assured everyone that no one person would be allowed to keep a chao, and that they were for everyone to enjoy. 

There was plenty of speculation as to why they were considered a weapon. Only Sonic had any idea, and he pointed out to Sally that the instructions said not to let the chao near the chaos emeralds until they were fully grown. 

At last the eggs began to hatch. 

Tails opened his eyes. His hut was dimly twilight, for it was barely dawn. He yawned, turned over and closed his eyes again; it was too early to get up. Then he heard a rustle from his window. His eyes flew open. One of the eggs was rocking ever so slightly, and there was a crack at one end. 

Stealthily, as if stalking a rare bird, Tails slithered out from under his blankets and tiptoed on silent bare feet to the window. Watching it, ears pricked, he crouched to bring his eyes to the egg's level. 

Now that he was closer, the fox could hear a sound; almost a purr, coming from the egg's occupant. The crack on the shell grew, as if thrust from the inside, and a few flakes fell to the sill. 

The sounds ceased, and the egg stopped moving. Tails watched it for a full minute, then worried. What if it had died? He gingerly touched the shell. The egg jumped, and so did Tails. "You're alive," he breathed. There came an answering chirp from the egg, and it began to rock again. As the cracks widened, Tails glimpsed something like fur under the shell. A moment later the top half of the shell fell off, and a pair of dark blue eyes blinked at the young fox. 

"Hi," said Tails softly. 

The chao rocked the egg over sideways and began to struggle out of the shell. It was a light blue with an onion-shaped head, the point on top. Its hands and feet were soft, shapeless blobs, and on its back were a pair of tiny crumpled wings. Tails gently held the shell in place as the chao wriggled out. He had seen chao before-- shell-shocked, half-drowned ones in Station Square--but this was a wonderful, innocent newborn. 

It sat up and looked at him soberly. "Hi," he said again, smiling. "I'm Tails." It didn't reply, but it didn't seem afraid, either. It gave a small shiver, and Tails realized that the eggs had been kept warm by the sun, and that it was chilly in his hut. He carefully picked up the chao--it made no protest--and carried it to his bed. He set it in his lap and wrapped a blanket around them. "There," he said, stroking its soft head, "nice and warm. I wonder what we're gonna call you?" 

The big eyes gazed up at him soundlessly, peacefully. 

"I wonder if you're a boy or a girl?" Tails added. He had better find out before he started thinking up names. It would be dreadful to name a chao Molly and have it turn out to be a boy. He blinked as he remembered something. He had better not get attached to this chao at all, because Sally had said nobody was to have a chao. 

He crawled out of the blankets, carrying the chao. "I forgot," he said. "Sally was supposed to be told if anybody hatched. C'mon." He crept out of his hut and looked around the village as he eased the door shut. Blue dawn was just breaking, and everyone was still asleep. He had better keep quiet. He spun his double tails, rose into the air and helicoptered across the village toward Sally's hut. 

The chao in his arms gazed at the village below, felt the sensation of flight, and it was forever lodged in its mind that it liked to fly. 

Tails landed at Sally's doorstep and knocked lightly. It was a moment before Sally appeared at the door in a bathrobe and slippers. She saw the chao at once and smiled. She led Tails inside and took the chao from him. For the first time it made a sound--a terrified cry--and it thrashed and struggled. Sally handed it back to Tails hurriedly, and it quieted at once. "Tails," Sally said accusingly, "did you play with it before you brought it here?" 

Tails looked down at the frightened blue eyes fixed on his. "Yes, a little," he admitted. 

"Tails," Sally said, "they imprint. Do you know what that means?" She was not angry, only serious. 

Tails looked up. "No." 

"It means that the first few minutes after they hatch, the things that happen and the people they meet have a profound effect on them. Were you the first thing it saw?" 

Tails stroked the chao's soft head and nodded. 

Sally sighed and ran a hand through her auburn hair. "I guess there's not much we can do. Looks like you have yourself a chao." 

"Really?" Tails' ears pricked up. "I get to keep him?" 

"We'll see," said Sally with a half smile. "What are you going to call him?" 

Tails looked down at the chao, and at the little wings. "Pilot," he said. "I'm gonna teach him how to fly!" 

* * *

That day the other six eggs hatched, and everyone who was anyone in Knothole was called together to meet the chao. 

Knuckles arrived via teleporter from the Floating Island, and with him came a small brown and white anteater known as Talon, who kept close to Knuckles as they walked. "There's too many people," said Talon in bewilderment. "And what's a chao, sir?" 

"Don't call me 'sir'," said Knuckles. "A chao is--well--you'll see. Looks like they're over here." The echidna had spotted a makeshift playpen set up on the grass under a tree with a crowd of people around it. They walked up and looked in. 

Seven baby chao scampered about on the grass, some smiling up at the onlookers, others playing about. All but two were identical shades of light blue; a slate gray one, and one who was a lavender color. The purple one was sitting in the corner, completely disinterested in the other chao, eyes focused on the Freedom Fighters gathered about the pen. 

"Serena!" Knuckles called over the general hubbub, "what's wrong with that one?" 

The violet hedgehog walked over and leaned her elbows on the edge of the pen. "Oh, that's Pilot. She imprinted on Tails when she hatched, and she won't have anything to do with anyone else." 

"But nobody was supposed to have one!" said Knuckles with a frown. 

Serena nodded. "I know that, but Pilot doesn't." 

Talon shyly tapped Serena on the shoulder. "Can we hold them?" 

She smiled at him, and he ducked his head. "Sure, go ahead. The more people they meet the better. Say, you're Talon, right?" 

He nodded and leaned down into the playpen, avoiding her eyes. Serena looked at Knuckles, who mouthed, "Shy." 

Talon picked up a chao and held it. It obviously liked the attention and purred in his arms. He gave a lopsided smile and stroked its head. 

Knuckles noticed one of the chao watching him out of the corner of its eye. "Heya shorty," he said. "Come here." The chao's mouth widened into a sharp-toothed smile, and it sidled toward him. Knuckles picked it up and stroked it. It continued to smile, eyes narrowing to evil slits. "We have a conniver here," the echidna said to Serena. She giggled and seemed about to say something, but someone called her name and she walked away. "See her?" Knuckles said to his chao, just loud enough for Talon to hear. "That's Serena, Sonic's little sister. She's a sassy one." He side-eyed Talon and saw the anteater watching him with a timid smile. 

"OW!!" Knuckles dropped the chao and clutched his arm. Everyone, including the chao, jumped and looked at him. "Little creep bit me!" the echidna snarled. The chao had landed on all fours, but instead of running away, it sat down and laughed like a squeak toy. 

Knuckles examined his arm and found a perfect circle of toothmarks. The chao was not strong enough to draw blood. "I'm okay," he muttered, and picked up the chao again. Again it gave him that naughty smile. He looked at Talon to see the anteater had turned his back, shoulders shaking. "Laugh it up, fuzzball," Knuckles growled. He looked at his chao as it bared its teeth again and leaned toward his arm. Without hesitation Knuckles slapped it. The chao recoiled and looked up at him in shock, no longer smiling. "Don't bite," Knuckles said, shaking a finger in its face. "Bad chao. No no." 

He set it back in the pen, where it continued to stare at him for the next five minutes. And although that chao would bite people for the rest of its life, it would never bite Knuckles again. 

Tails appeared and glanced into the pen. Pilot, the purple chao, gave a squeak, ran to his side of the pen and held up its arms. Tails picked it up, and the chao snuggled its soft head into his neck. 

"You're so lucky," Talon breathed, watching. 

Tails heard him with his foxy ears and walked around the pen to him. "I know. It was an accident, really. What's your name?" 

"Talon." 

"Pleased to meet you! I'm Tails." Tails offered a hand, and Talon shook it. The two stared awkwardly at each other for a moment, stroking their respective chao. Talon broke the silence. "How do you know if they're boys or girls?" 

"Their topknot," Tails said promptly. "See the points on their heads? Boys have real long ones, and girls have stubby ones. Pilot's a girl." 

"Oh." Talon and Knuckles both looked into the pen and counted silently. All but one other chao had long topknots. 

"Two females and five males?" Knuckles asked. 

Tails turned to him. "Yep! Just my luck Pilot would be a girl. No offense, Pilot." 

"You mean they understand?" Talon asked, his astonishment magnified by the white stripes that encircled his eyes. 

Tails nodded. "You bet. Something to do with their genes--I don't understand that part--but every second as they grow, they're learning and programming themselves. That way--" 

The fox was interrupted by someone calling, "Make way, make way! Feeding time!" Pilot and Talon's chao struggled eagerly, and the two put them into the pen. All the chao crowded against the side nearest the voice. 

Serena and Zephyer appeared, each bearing a tray covered with chopped fruit. The onlookers moved back as Zephyer called, "Okay everybody, playtime's over! Time to eat!" The echidna and hedgehog walked up, stepped into the pen and carefully set down the platters. The chao immediately gathered around and began eating like wolves, pushing and shoving, snapping and baring teeth. 

Serena trotted off, but Zephyer remained nearby, arms folded, watching the chao. From the neck down she was robotized, metal gleaming in the sun. Knuckles didn't like her much--her personality was too thorny--but he had heard she had mellowed over the winter. He walked up to her. "Making sure they don't hurt themselves, huh?" 

She glanced at him, then back at the chao. "Sort of. They don't let the grey one eat, see?" As she spoke, two chao sprang at the gray one, chased it across the pen, then returned to their places beside the dish. The grey one whimpered a moment, then pushed his way back to the food, only to be chased away a moment later. With a sigh Zephyer stepped into the pen, pushed aside a chao and helped the grey one find a place. Then she stood over him, daring the others to hurt him while she was there. None of them did. 

* * *

At that moment, halfway across the world, a battered, junky fishing trawler cruised the ocean. It appeared innocent enough, its nets under, engines chugging loudly, a white streak in its wake. It moved lazily, like an old fisherman itself, rusted but seaworthy. 

But in the minuscule bridge, the captain sat at the helm and ignored the blue robot who was sitting on the floor, a web of wires plugged from itself into the ship's navigation equipment. The captain had been paid handsomely to take the robot aboard, and was promised another bundle of cash upon return. And so he paid the robot less attention than he did the rumble of the engines. 

Metal Sonic was focused intently on the information feeding into his systems. His miniature supercomputer was processing, processing. The information was coming from another robot, who was deep underwater, scanning the ocean floor for a treasure of infinite value. Mecha was coordinating his counterpart's operation. Neither actually spoke; there was too much information communicating across their network. They had been working since dawn. 

A blip among countless billions of blips. Metal Sonic's sensors homed in on it with trained precision and identified it to his counterpart. The information pattern shifted as the underwater robot slowed and circled back. Digging. If Mecha had had an imagination, he would have almost been able to see the cloud of mud dimming the headlight, the glow of the treasure. "Got it," the underwater droid announced. "Surfacing." 

"Success," Metal Sonic thought. He lifted a yellow hand and began to unhook the wires. At last, at long last ... 

The blue robot stepped out onto the deck, and ignoring the crew, strode to the stern and planted himself beside the giant net winches. He stood for several minutes, unblinking, unmoving, staring at the ocean swell. It would take the other robot some time to resurface, so deep under was he. But he had found the stone they sought, and Mecha cared about little else. 

A splash some distance to stern drew Mecha's attention. A gleaming red head had broken the surface, and turned toward the boat. Robo Knuckles raised one hand, and something green flashed in the sun. Metal Sonic saluted and watched as the other robot churned through the boat's wake, the propeller screws mounted on his back driving him on. Presently Robo Knux drew up beside the boat, and Mecha hauled him on board. 

Robo Knux streamed water from every joint as he unstrapped the propeller and let it slide to the deck. He had been forced to flood every internal compartment but his engine and head to relieve the pressure, and in places his hull had buckled. It wasn't anything a few days in maintenance couldn't fix, however. He looked at Mecha without a word and held out his hand. Mecha held out his, and the little stone clinked into his palm. It was dirty and had a barnacle growing on it, but it was the one. 

"It's a pity it's not the eighth chaos emerald," said Robo Knuckles, very quietly. 

"Yes," said Metal Sonic. "But it will have to do. Let us retreat to the cabin until this cursed trip is over. I detest the sight of water."


	2. Chapter 2

Talon sat quietly beside the chao pen, watching them play and shamble about. The chao fascinated him, and the longer he looked the more certain he grew that he could tell them apart. There were various sizes, positions of the topknot, and head shapes. Most marked of all was Pilot, who had two points protruding from the back of her head like horns. Talon wondered at this. 

The chao he had held earlier bounced up to the side of the pen, plopped down on its behind and sat looking at him. "Hi," he said softly. To his surprise it mimicked him in a little baby voice. "Hi." "Hello," Talon said, wondering if it would mimic that, too. It didn't. "You're cute," he told it. "I wish you were mine." 

A moment later the chao got up and toddled away. But every five minutes or so, it would return to sit and stare at Talon through the mesh wall. "If you were mine," he told it, "I'd name you Max. You look like a Max." The chao looked at him so knowingly he wondered if it had understood. 

Talon heard footsteps, and the chao lifted its eyes to someone behind him. The anteater turned his head and saw Zephyer approaching. A stranger! Instantly bashful, he rose to his feet and edged away. "Oh, don't leave," she said. "I was going to look at them, too." Talon tried to think of an excuse to leave, couldn't think of an honest one, and returned to his seat. Zephyer sat down a few feet away. The chao dubbed "Max" had not moved, and resumed looking at Talon. Zephyer noticed this. "He likes you," she pointed out. Talon only nodded. He didn't want to sit and talk to her. She was a robot. He wondered if he should go find Knuckles, and decided he would stay until she asked him some sort of personal question. He hated personal questions. It reminded him of all those psychologists he had been sent to after his parents died. That was why he liked the chao. They didn't question you, they didn't try to categorize you or label you as 'anti-social'. They just liked you for who you were. 

All this time he had been staring at the chao, avoiding eye contact with Zephyer, but painfully aware she was there. Presently he ventured a glance in her direction. To his surprise, she wasn't looking at him at all; she was watching the chao. The little grey chao was seated near her, like Max was Talon, but unlike Max, the grey chao was sitting sideways, keeping a nervous eye on the other chao. 

"What's his name?" Talon blurted, then blushed. He hadn't meant to say it aloud. 

Zephyer glanced at him, then at the grey chao. "I was trying to think of one. What would be a good name?" 

Talon looked at the grey chao. It was an ugly little thing. Its eyes appeared negatized, with white pupils and black whites. He thought of a picture he had once seen of Metal Sonic, then thought of his cousin, and shivered. "I'd name him after a metal," he suggested hesitantly. "Like steel." He expected her to wave it off and tell him it was stupid idea, but to his surprise she said softly, "Here Steel Steel Steel. No, too cold. How about Iron. No ... what other metal is silver? Aside from silver, that is." 

"Why not silver?" Talon asked. "It's pretty." She hadn't told him he was stupid so far. 

Zephyer shook her head, dreadlocks swinging. Hers were longer than Knuckles's, he noticed. "No offense, but Silver is a pretty name." She laughed quietly, and after a second Talon did, too. The grey chao was certainly not pretty. 

"What about Zinc?" said Talon. Aside from hearing the name in relation to electronics, he had no idea what color it was. 

"Zinc," said Zephyer. "Here, Zinc. Zinc and Zephyer. I like it." She flashed a smile at Talon, then leaned forward and said to the chao, "Hear that? Thou art dubbed 'Zinc'." The grey chao looked at her and smiled. 

"How much do they understand?" Talon asked, assuming Zephyer would know. After all, she lived here. To his surprise, she shrugged. "I don't know. Nobody really knows much about them." 

Talon's mouth formed a perfect O as he gazed at Max, who had bounced away to take a drink of water. Then he scowled. The chao who had bitten Knuckles earlier crept up and sank his teeth into the back of Max's head. Max gave a frightened squeak and ran, not to the other chao, but straight back to Talon. Talon stood up, reached down into the pen and picked up the whimpering chao. He shot a glare at the mean one. It met his frown with its naughty smile, eyes narrowing to slits. 

"What a jerk," Zephyer commented. To the chao she said, "Three-headed beast. If I were doing the naming, I'd call you after the Chimera." The chao transferred his wicked smile to Zephyer before turning his back deliberately. 

"Did you think of a name for that one?" Zephyer asked Talon, indicating the chao in his arms. 

"Max," he replied shyly, stroking its bitten head. 

She nodded and smiled. "That's cute." She wanted to add that she thought Talon was cute, too, but knew it would only embarrass him. "Let's see, we have four named already. Zinc, Max ... Chimera ..." She looked pointedly at the naughty chao. "... and Pilot. Should we name the other three?" 

Talon looked at the remaining chao. Two had been left to hatch normally, and the other had hatched in water. The water one was "sort of berserk", as he thought to himself. It was afraid of everyone who walked by, of every moving shadow, of every breeze, even of the other chao. Talon pointed him out. "I'd call him 'Chalcon'. In the echidna language it means 'fearful one'." He looked at Zephyer and blushed again. "But ... you probably already knew that." 

Zephyer's face fell. "Actually, I didn't," she murmured. Suddenly she stood and made as though to walk off, but Zinc gave a cry and pawed at the fence. She turned back and picked him up. "Come on, then," she said, pretending to be annoyed. She strode off, casually holding him in the crook of her arm. 

Talon sat down and let Max loose. The chao scampered about on the grass, seemingly happy to be separate from his fellows, but never ventured very far from Talon. After a while, worn out, the chao returned and flopped at Talon's side with a sigh. The anteater stroked him, then blinked, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him. Max's blue fur and skin was green. Not grass green, but much closer to green than blue. "Max," said Talon, "you're changing colors on me! What's wrong?" The chao smiled up at him, then closed his eyes and curled up for a nap. Talon's worried gaze sought out Pilot, who was purple with a deformed head. Maybe chao could change many different colors. 

Sonic appeared out of nowhere and slid to a stop near the pen in a cloud of dust. "Hiya, Talon," the hedgehog said as he reached into the pen and scooped up the nearest chao. "Whaddya think of these guys?" 

Talon opened his mouth, but he was too late. The chao's teeth sank into Sonic's hand, and Sonic dropped it like a hot potato. "Ow! Why you little jerk--" He shook his hand to dissipate the pain and glared at the chao, who was laughing in a squeaky voice. 

"That's Chimera, the biting one," Talon explained. "I should have said something." 

"It's all right," Sonic said, his good humor returning. "I should have been more careful. What'd you call him?" 

Talon explained about naming the chao. Sonic leaned on the fence. "Chalcon," he said when Talon had listed off their names and meanings. "Might as well name him 'coward'. Look at the little wimp." Chalcon was huddled in the far corner of the pen, as far from both Sonic and Talon as he could go. 

"So, who's this?" Sonic asked, picking up the unnamed male chao. 

Talon shrugged. He was quite comfortable around Sonic, having had met him on the Floating Island. "We didn't name the last two." 

"Hmm." Sonic stroked the chao carelessly and looked at its face. It smiled back, a bland, neutral smile. "If Tails taught his chao to fly by airlifting it," said Sonic thoughtfully, "maybe I could teach you to run by taking you for a spin." The hedgehog shot away, a breeze in his wake, the chao in his arms. Talon watched them streak about through the trees and village, Sonic showing off his speed with daredevil stunts. After a few minutes he returned to the pen, panting. The chao's eyes were brighter than before, its smile more animated. "There, shorty," Sonic said, setting it back in the pen. "Did that make you like me?" In reply, the chao scampered about the pen, twice as fast as his fellows. Sonic laughed. "Look at him! What a riot! Hang on, I'm gonna get 'Rena." 

The hedgehog shot away in a blue blur, returning a moment later with Serena in tow. The violet hedgehog had a book in one hand that at first Talon thought she had been reading, but as she began thumbing through it he saw it was a thesaurus. "Hi, Talon," she said, glancing at him. Then to Sonic she said, "Verbs make good names. I'll look up 'speed'." 

"A fast name, that's what I want," said Sonic, picking up his chao. "I might as well get in on the name game." 

Serena brushed her hair from her eyes, licked her thumb and turned a page. "Here it is. Speed is also Swiftness, Briskness, Activity, Eagerness, Haste, Hurry, Acceleration, Dispatch, Velocity, Readiness--" 

"Wait, go back," said Sonic. 

"Dispatch?" 

"No, the other one." 

"Velocity?" 

"Yeah, that's it! That's a speedy word, isn't it?" He patted his chao. 

Serena nodded. "I think so. Isn't it kind of long, though?" 

"I don't care as long as it sounds cool," said Sonic with a grin. "Ain't that right, Velos?" The chao gave him a wide smile. 

Serena reached into the pen and picked up the unnamed female chao, Chalcon shying away from her hands. "Aren't you a sweetie," the hedgehog breathed against its head. The chao reached up and patted Serena's nose with a soft, formless paw. Serena laughed softly. 

"Want me to look something up, sis?" Sonic asked. 

"Nope," Serena replied. "I've got a name already. Elleno." 

"Elleno?" Sonic said, ears moving to a quizzical position. "Don't you mean 'Ellenor'?" 

"I mean Elleno," said Serena defensively. "It ends with O, like Chao." 

Sonic shrugged and held up a hand. "All right, it's your funeral." He resumed stroking the newly-named Velocity, then looked around. "Where'd Talon go?" 

Indeed, Talon had slipped away quietly while the hedgehogs had been talking. 

"He's so shy it's pathetic," said Serena, half to her chao and half to her brother. "I feel sorry for him." 

"Me too," Sonic replied softly. "Knuckles told me that the kid has two cousins who want him dead. Strike that--one cousin. The other one is an android that hates his guts. She's supposed to be a babe, too." 

"A girl android?" said Serena, eyebrows lifting. "I didn't know they made those." 

"Talon's uncle built her," Sonic said, setting Velocity back in the pen. "Knux says he doesn't know what would happen if Robotnik got his hands on her." He sighed. "I wish Slasher would come back. She's been down at Riverbase with that guy long enough." 

* * *

No one knew that an evil being had been brought into existence hundreds of miles to the south. Not Slasher, en-route back to Knothole, not the Freedom Fighters, enamored of the chao. The chao themselves did not know that they were destined to stand between him and world domination. No one knew, not even his creators. 

The Final Egg ground base, deep in a jungle called the Mystic Ruins, was the facility that housed the monster. Deep in its cavernous bowels, a blue robot hedgehog was preparing to introduce his master to the beast. 

"If you will recall, sir," Metal Sonic purred in a mechanical monotone, "a year ago you commissioned me to construct a creature as powerful as Chaos, but who would remain perfectly loyal to you. I have built a beta version of such a robot. What you will see in the next room is this beta in action. Do not fear him. He knows you are his master." 

Robotnik looked at Metal Sonic for a long moment. He was thinking, for some reason, of how Robo Knux had rebelled, created second-hand, as it were, by Packbell. Another thing that caught his attention was that Metal Sonic was telling him not to be afraid. He, Robotnik, creator of the fearsome Mecha bots, Egg Carrier and Death Egg, afraid of a robot? What in the world had Mecha built? 

"Proceed," said the doctor. 

Metal Sonic unlocked a large steel door marked with radioactive and biohazard signs, and stepped inside. Robotnik followed, nervously fingering his mustache. 

The two entered a small room with a giant window in the far wall. The left wall was made up of a giant control panel and many small monitors, glowing pale blue. Standing at the window, looking out, was Robo Knux. He turned his head, flashed his green eyes in Robotnik's direction, then returned his attention to whatever was beyond the window. Metal Sonic and the doctor stepped up to the window and followed his gaze. 

The room beyond was not a room at all, but a vast space full of machinery. It was the guts of the construction equipment in the floor above; pistons pumping, gears turning like clockwork, shafts spinning, things moving up and down and in and out, things with razor-sharp edges or glowing hot surfaces. "Not even Sonic could get through that," said Robo Knux. He was on his best behavior in Robotnik's presence, as if he wished the doctor would forget who had wrested Robotropolis from his grasp. Not for long; just for the short time they were in each other's presence. Robotnik ignored him. After all, he had helped build Mecha's commissioned robot. "Now watch," said Metal Sonic, and they all did. 

At first it was difficult to see. A glint of metal here and there, out of synch with the surrounding machinery. A leaping shadow. A flash of orange. Then it jumped to the top of a slow-moving gear and perched for an instant, outlined against a jet of steam. A reptilian shape. Robotnik blinked and it was gone. A small flicker of apprehension touched Robotnik's steel heart. They had modeled the robot on the one species he had sworn never to use as a model himself. 

It appeared again, closer now, leaping, ducking, crawling or rolling through the machinery with tremendous speed and incredible agility, never faltering, never tiring. It seemed to know the exact way through the turning gears, no matter how small or dangerous. 

"He has never been in this room before," said Metal Sonic with a touch of pride. "He is running on a hydrogen-based supercomputer that processes fifteen billion cycles every nanosecond ..." The robot continued to talk of the creature's systems, but Robotnik was no longer listening. The thing had drawn quite close and was perched in plain sight, limbs curled under it, watching a whirling vertical belt and gear set. It was at an awkward angle, and unless it could fly, it would never make it. The creature seemed to know this. It coiled itself, then gave a mighty leap. It travelled almost over the gears but came down too close. In an instant the sharp teeth caught it and lifted it up and over. The robot struggled, gained a foothold somewhere and threw itself off the gears and to the safety of the open floor on the other side. It was quite close to the window now, and the three could see its every detail. 

It was a velociraptor. It had black skin and an orange underbelly. Its head and upper jaw were one piece, the teeth built right into the face. The lower jaw closed into it like scissor blades. Its shoulders, back, flanks, thighs and tail were gleaming silver metal. The tip of its tail was barbed with six-inch spikes, the toe-claws on its hind feet were twice as large as necessary. It had three fingers and an opposable thumb. 

But what caught their attention was that its left leg was bent and smashed, and the fleshy parts of its side were sliced open, revealing the wiring underneath. "Looks like your pet isn't as great as it's cracked up to be," commented Robotnik dryly. 

Metal Sonic and Robo Knux exchanged a glance. "Watch sir," said Metal Sonic evenly. 

The raptor lowered its head, and its red eyes winked shut. A second later its injured leg straightened out, and the dents vanished. In a moment it was standing on two legs again, the left one perfectly 'healed'. Next the cuts on its silicon hide closed over and fused up. In five minutes it had recovered from wounds that would have sent a living creature to medical for weeks. 

The robot lifted its lithe neck and looked at the three in the window. Then it paced to the outer door, moving like a panther, every motion smooth and well-oiled. The technology stripped from Kardot the android was in evidence. Metal Sonic opened the door for it, and it entered their room. 

It towered over Robotnik and seemed to fill the room, seven feet tall, twenty feet long, three hundred pounds of steel and electronic sinew. Its eyes were red with hairline pupils. It bowed its head and stooped to the floor in a clumsy bow, the first awkward move it had made. 

"What is your callsign and civilian name?" the doctor asked. 

The beast stood up again and said in a low voice with no trace of robotic origins, "Mecha bot five. I am Leviathan." 

Robotnik circled the robot, touching its metal and plastic flesh, kicking its legs for a sense of stability, fingering the barbs on its tail, examining the inside of its mouth, for all the world like a buyer examining a horse. Leviathan submitted to the examination patiently. He knew full well that his physical appearance was solid and frightening. 

"Notice his collar, sir," said Metal Sonic. His master seemed pleased so far, and Mecha was proud of his creation. "The gem in his collar was buried deep in the ocean. It is the source of his energy and strength." 

Robotnik touched the green stone and noted its warmth. "You found it, then. It was presumed lost years ago." 

"Yes sir." Metal Sonic looked at Robo Knux to see the red robot stare at him, then turn his back. "With mecha bot four's aid, of course," Mecha added. 

"Is it ready for combat?" Robotnik asked, stepping back and studying Leviathan's proportions. He was a trifle long in the body, but that was to add strength to the extra long tail, he decided. 

"The preliminaries, perhaps," the robot hedgehog replied. "I would not recommend dispatching him against the Freedom Fighters yet." 

"Yes ..." Robotnik pondered a moment, then waved a hand. "Take him to the training area, then. I want him ready for battle in two months." 

"Affirmative." Mecha, Robo Knux and Leviathan, who had not spoken a word since announcing his name, strode out into the fortress. Robotnik watched the latter go with narrowed eyes. A robot that held its tongue made him uneasy. 

The doctor shook his head. A pair of robots were incapable of creating a robot eviller than themselves. He had nothing to worry about. He walked out the door and snapped off the light. 

* * *

In Knothole, the sun beat down with summer afternoon strength. Most of the Freedom Fighters were absent, for Slasher had arrived with news from the world at large and was relaying it in the shade near the river. The chao were alone in their pen under the trees. 

Most of them were dozing in a good-natured tumble in one corner of the pen, where a small breeze blew through the mesh. Only Chalcon, the paranoid chao, was alone. He was sitting in a patch of sunlight on the other side of the pen, nodding drowsily in the warmth. 

Disaster struck in the form of a hungry hawk, who saw the chao as small animals unwary of predators. 

The dark feathered dart shot down through the trees with a whistle of wings, feet and talons foremost. It struck poor Chalcon such a blow he had no time to so much as squeak. He was knocked senseless as the bird's claws sank into his soft flesh. 

The other chao leaped to their feet in terror and watched in stark silence. Only two chao of the six had the nerve to dare anything else. 

Chimera ran across the pen, jumped on the hawk's slippery back and dug his teeth into its neck. He was followed by Zinc, the grey mutant chao, who bit the hawk's scaly leg and hung on like a little bulldog. The bird twisted around and ripped at the top of Chimera's head with its sharp beak, but could not reach him well because of the hold he had on its neck feathers. At the same time, it released Chalcon's limp body and tore at Zinc with its free foot, raining blows about his head with its powerful wings. 

The chao were too young and weak to fight long, although their determination revealed a shadow of their deeds to come. Zinc fainted under the thundering wings. Chimera lost his grip and fell off the hawk's back, bleeding from the cuts on his head. The hawk made good its escape, unused to fighting for its meals. It left behind three wounded chao in the pen. 

Tails saw the hawk fly away, checked the chao, saw the blood and panicked. He ran to Sally's hut, found it empty and ran down to the river, where almost all the Freedom Fighters were hanging out on the bank. They saw his tears, heard the word 'chao', and stampeded into the village to see what had happened. 

The three injured chao were snatched up by Knuckles, Zephyer and Slasher, and carried away to the long, low hut that served as a hospital. The other chao owners, shocked that such a thing could happen in the relative safety of Knothole, all comforted their chao and stared at each other. 

"Did you see Chimera?" Tails blurted. "He was hurt so bad he was purple!" He squeezed Pilot. The hawk could have attacked any of the chao. 

"I didn't see," said Talon faintly from a few feet away. He was holding a trembling Max, trying to calm the chao and himself. 

Sonic and Serena were holding their chao. Elleno was crying into Serena's blouse, and Velocity just sat in Sonic's arms and stared at nothing. "This wasn't good," Sonic commented, stroking Velocity's soft head. "Velos is in shock, and I'll bet the others are, too. I'll bet at least one of them dies." 

Fortunately, this morbid prediction was proved false. Chimera received twelve stitches in the top of his head, and Zinc took four in his right side. Chalcon's wounds were small, but deep, as the hawk had gripped him in its claws. He lived on milk and oatmeal for a week. 

Chao were remarkable healers. After three days of constant sleep, the three were almost as good as new. But there had been some subtle changes. 

Chimera had switched colors from blue to purple during the battle with the hawk, and the back of his head developed small bumps like Pilot's. He walked with a little baby swagger, obviously pleased with himself, but he begged almost constantly for Knuckles's attention. 

Zinc had risen to the top of the pecking order. The chao had seen the him take on a hawk, and who would cross a guy as fierce as Chimera? The little grey chao ate his fill every feeding time without Zephyer having to stand guard, but he did not forget that she had protected him before. 

Chalcon recovered from the attack with two things; a passionate fear of every bird in the sky, and a love for Slasher. He had not formed a bond with anyone because of his timidity, but by caring for him, the big raptor worked a change. He gained a little confidence and didn't cower as much. But he still ran for cover if so much as a sparrow flew over. 

Sally observed that a select group had grown attached to certain chao, and could only sigh. So much for group raising! It appeared the chao themselves had a say in how they turned out. 

One chao in particular tried to take his education a little too far. 

At night the chao were deposited in a cardboard box inside Sally's hut for safekeeping. Chimera had barely recovered from his head wounds--he had only had his stitches removed that afternoon--but he was already scheming for more mischief. He had seen Sonic carrying the chaos emeralds in a shoebox toward his hut. None of the chao were supposed to lay eyes on the gems, but Chimera had glimpsed them and decided he wanted one. 

He lay quietly in the box like a good chao, listening to his companions breathe, and waiting for Sally to fall asleep. After a while he stood up and peered through a hole in the cardboard at Sally's bed. The lump under the blankets was breathing evenly. Chimera's toothy smile appeared in the darkness. Time to set his escape in motion. 

Climbing out of the box was no problem; a jump, a scramble and he was standing on the cold wood floor. He bounced to the door with the peculiar gait of a chao, and looked up at the doorknob. Obviously out of his reach, but he had already planned this. He hopped to Sally's desk, scrambled up on her chair, and from there to the top of the desk. He paused to catch his breath (he was still a fat baby chao, after all) and smiled devilishly at his companions, asleep in their boring box. He would get a pretty rock and they wouldn't, neener neener! He turned his attention to the window. The catch opened easily under his paw, and he pushed it open with a little grunt. It was a long drop to the ground; three feet, at least. Chimera breathed the cool night air, weighed his desire for a jewel against the terror of the jump, then launched himself into space. 

He landed with a thud on the grass and lay still, winded. Presently he got his breath back and stood up. Now, Sonic's hut was five rows down on the far side, he was sure. He looked around furtively. No one was watching. He bounced off. 

Breaking in to Sonic's hut was no big deal. Sonic always slept with the windows open in the summer, and there was a tall bush that grew against the wall behind his hut. Chimera climbed this, trying not to rustle too loudly, pausing often to listen for Sonic. 

At last the little chao clawed his way through the window and plopped to the floor. Looking around in the darkness, he spotted Sonic's hammock with the hedgehog's feet hanging out one end. Good, he was asleep. Now, where was that box? Chimera turned a slow circle, peering through the darkness at Sonic's belongings. Ah, there it was, up on a shelf. The chao studied the situation. After a moment he figured out a solution and set to work. 

Sonic half-heard the soft scrape of a chair being dragged across the floor. Shuffling, more scraping. Sonic stirred restlessly and lifted his head. Chimera froze. After a moment of silence, Sonic rolled over and went back to sleep. Chimera smiled and pulled the lid off the shoebox. 

A shriek, a crash and a tinkle like breaking glass. Sonic snapped awake, fell out of his hammock with a crash, groped for the light switch and turned it on. 

The light illuminated a chao cowering on the floor, surrounded by glowing chaos emeralds. The box lay upended nearby, and a chair with a crate on it revealed how the chao had reached it. "You little creep," Sonic exclaimed in sleepy anger, his heart calming. "What are you doing in here?" 

Chimera snarled at him. Clutched in his soft paws was the red chaos emerald. Sonic eyed it. "You're not supposed to have that. Give it here." He reached out to take it, and without hesitation, Chimera bit him. 

Five minutes later Knuckles was awakened by furious pounding on his door. The echidna awoke at once and opened it. Sonic stood on his doorstep, barefoot, eyes flaming with such fire they almost glowed in the dark. "Come get your bratty chao out of my hut," the hedgehog snarled. "He got into the emeralds." 

"Oh great." Knuckles followed him at a trot, rubbing his eyes. So far the chao had given him the same amount of trouble his island did. 

Chimera did not bite Knuckles, but he tried everything else. He fought, he snarled, he hissed, he threw things with his free hand, but he would not relinquish the emerald. Sonic watched, arms folded and lips pressed in exasperation. Surprisingly, Knuckles did not become angry. He was infinitely gentle, talking softly all the while. It took upwards of an hour, but at last Chimera handed over the stone. Knuckles handed it to Sonic, who put it safely out of sight. Then the echidna picked up the chao. 

Chimera began to cry as if his heart would break as soon as they left Sonic's hut. Knuckles carried him back to his own hut, not wanting to disturb Sally, and made the chao a bed out of a blanket on the floor. Chimera only stayed there ten minutes; then Knuckles found him curled up beside him on the bed. The echidna let him stay, and there the naughty chao spent the rest of the night.


	3. Chapter 3

By the next morning, Chimera had fallen gravely ill. Sonic was inclined to feel glad about this, but changed his mind when he saw the chao's fevered face, and how concerned Knuckles was. 

"What's the problem?" Sonic asked the echidna as they stood outside the medical hut, where Bunnie, Sally and Slasher were analyzing Chimera's illness. Talon was standing nearby in the warm sun, ever Knuckles's shadow, arms folded and head bowed. Knuckles glanced at him, then said to Sonic in a low voice, "You remember what happened when the eighth chaos emerald shocked you?" 

Talon looked up with wide eyes, first at Knuckles, then at Sonic. 

Sonic's mouth twisted as if he tasted something bitter. "Yeah. One of the worst experiences of my life." 

Knuckles nodded. "It looks like regular chaos emeralds effect chao the same way, maybe worse. When Tal brought in his chao this morning, Chimera when ballistic. As soon as Tal left, Chimera calmed down, then started throwing up. I'm afraid he'll die." 

"Maybe he'll need to be isolated, like I was," said Sonic. "But he's smaller, so maybe he won't need to go as far. Your furlough's about up. Why don't you take him to the island with you?" 

"I might have to," said Knuckles with a sigh. "It might be good for him. You know, Tikal and everything." Sonic and Talon nodded in comprehension. Tikal was an echidna of the ancient race, and according to her, the chao had originated on the Floating Island. Unfortunately, she had vanished into the past without further details. 

"Could I bring Max, too?" Talon asked, clasping his hands wistfully. "He could keep Chimera company when he gets better." 

"That's up to the other Freedom Fighters," Knuckles replied. 

"Yes sir," said Talon meekly. He walked away toward the chao pen, his brown, black and white fur contrasting sharply with his bright blue shoes. 

"Why does he call you 'sir' all the time?" asked Sonic under his breath. "You use him as a slave or something?" 

"No, nothing like that," said Knuckles, chuckling in spite of himself. "It's a habit he has. I assume that's how he was taught to address his father." 

"So he thinks you're his dad?" 

"I guess so. He sort of adopted me." 

"Or visa versa." 

They were interrupted as Sally exited the medical hut. "Oh, Sonic, Knuckles," she said, beckoning. "Come on in." She re-entered the hut, the two trailing. 

The little purple chao was lying on a table, arms out to the sides, eyes closed. "It's bad, sugar," said Bunnie Rabbot, looking up at Knuckles. "He has a high fever and he's losing lots of water. It's like a real severe flu." 

"Or dysentery," added Slasher from nearby. "We have to keep him away from the other chao until he recovers." The raptor looked at Knuckles with one green eye. "What's your take on this?" 

Knuckles jerked a thumb in Sonic's direction. "Emerald madness, like he had that time. We were thinking I should take Chimera to the island for a while." 

"That might work," said Sally, looking at Bunnie and Slasher. "But what about socialization?" 

"Tal wants to take Max." 

Sally shrugged. "Fine with me." 

"Me too," said Slasher, "although I think they'll end up over-socialized, not the other way around." 

Thus it was decreed that Knuckles and Talon would take their chao to the Floating Island until Chimera recovered. And two days later, they did. 

* * *

For some reason, once they were separated, the chao began to grow like weeds. Elleno and Velocity turned lime-green with knobs on their heads, and were nearly identical but for voices and actions. Elleno remained, to all respects, a little girl chao. She liked to play by herself or with Pilot, off in a corner away from the boys. But she took no nonsense from anyone, least of all Velocity. 

Velocity's personality resembled Sonic's in a way. He was perky, always happy, and loved practical jokes (when he could get away with them). He would run and shout baby gibberish, and picked good-natured fights with Chalcon and Zinc. He also tried to rough up Pilot and Elleno. Pilot ignored him pointedly no matter what he did, and Elleno fought back without a second thought. She usually won. 

Chalcon remained the Fearful One, and it was a long time before he could run about without pain. Of all the chao, he did not change colors or develop an odd head shape. He also grew very little. 

Zinc, mutant and puny though he was, was braver and stronger than Chalcon. He wrestled with Velocity vigorously, and defended Chalcon when it seemed that Velocity was getting the better of him. At times he growled, strutted and fought so fiercely it seemed he was a second Chimera. But he never bit anyone maliciously, left the girls alone after Elleno thrashed him, and stuck up for Chalcon. His dull grey did not change shades, but he developed two lumps like bee stings, one between his eyes and one on his forehead. 

Pilot, the eldest of the chao, scorned wrestling and fighting. She got along well with all the chao as long as they weren't picking fights. Often she would sit and stare at the sky for ten or twenty minutes at a time, watching a bird fly. Flight! She lived for it. The highest point of her life was when Tails took her for a whirl. When the hawk had attacked Chalcon, she had cowered back with the others, but at the same time secretly admired the bird's strength and glossy plumage. 

On the Floating Island, Max and Chimera were developing, too. 

It took Chimera a week to recover from the emerald's shock, but after six days in bed he was so curious about his new surroundings he couldn't stand it anymore. He escaped Knuckles' hut and was located, hours later, trying to bite a hole in a coconut. They became his favorite food. He regained strength and weight quickly after that, and was soon his old conniving self. He went everywhere with Knuckles, and his purple deepened to maroon. The bumps on his head became hard little points, like horns, and he used them in addition to his teeth for warding off attention. The Chaotix and Talon didn't care for him much, but he was such a ham one couldn't help but like him deep down. 

Little Max was growing, too. He turned a pale yellow-green, and his topknot slumped backward until his head was shaped like a teardrop, drooping like a melted candle. He loved to swim. Every morning he would awaken and beg Talon with little sounds and gestures to take him to the river. Talon usually obliged him. The anteater never tired of watching his pet swim and frolic in the shallows, and Max could swim like an eel. Often Talon took a book, flopped in the shade and read for hours while Max alternately swam and sunned himself. 

Chimera hated Max. The little red chao tried to swim several times, and could not move as gracefully or as quickly as Max, who took advantage of this and gleefully ducked Chimera whenever he could. Chimera took to ambushing Max on dry land and whipping him roundly. Max was not very agile on dry land, and would scamper as fast as he could in the direction of water with Chimera nipping at his heels all the way. Nothing Knuckles or Talon did could stop the growing enmity between the two. 

It was early August when the chao entered their next stage of development. 

* * *

Deep in the jungle of the Mystic Ruins, a murder had just been committed. 

Leviathan the cyber-raptor had been dispatched on his first field test. Target: one of the humans working on the archeological dig at the ruins. Mission: To kill him quickly, efficiently and quietly. 

The kill was accomplished in four seconds. By the time the men found their companion with his neck broken, the beast was halfway home and running like the wind. The kill had taught him something; robots were superior in strength to organisms. A seed of pride took root in his processing, and he lifted his head and tail high as he ran. 

* * *

"Sonic, come quick!" 

The hedgehog looked up with a start from the floor of his hut where he was teaching Velocity the alphabet. Tails had burst in, eyes wide, panting, almost in tears. 

"What's up, little bro?" Sonic asked, standing up. 

Tails seized his hand. "Come quick--something terrible's happened to Pilot!" 

Sonic followed Tails at a run, not knowing whether to panic now or later. Velocity toddled along in their wake, unnoticed. 

Tails led Sonic to the back of his hut, where there was a wide grassy strip. "I was playing with her," Tails choked, "and I turned my back for a second, and I turned around, and she--she was like that!" 

Sonic gazed at Pilot in amazed horror. The little violet chao was sitting with her head bowed, rocking slightly with slow, deep breaths, as if she had fallen asleep sitting up. But encircling her like a bubble was a transparent shell, onion-shaped with the point at the top. Sonic touched it and with a shock found it was as hard as rock. "Is she dying?" Tails cried, clasping and unclasping his hands. "What do we do?" 

Sonic felt something touch his leg, and saw Velocity looking at the encased Pilot with innocent interest. Velocity looked up at him and smiled, not at all perturbed. Sonic returned his gaze to the cocoon, and saw that it was slightly less transparent than a moment before. "Let's find Sally," Sonic said, snatching up Velocity to keep him from seeing any more. 

Sally was washing her hair and couldn't be bothered, so the pair hunted down Slasher. The big raptor was located in the small orchard adjacent to the village, picking peaches and plums with Chalcon sitting on her back, like a baby chick riding an elephant. He ducked down behind her wing as they approached. Sonic and Tails explained about Pilot, interrupting each other, while Velocity chirred and waved to Chalcon's eyes peeking down at them. 

Slasher didn't seemed worried in the least. She handed a peach to Chalcon and a plum to Velocity, and said, "Want a peach or something? No? Don't worry about Pilot, you guys. She's evolving." 

"Evolving?" Tails asked, still frightened. "What's that mean? Is she gonna die?" 

"Oh no," said Slasher, cocking her head for a look at Velocity, who was mauling his plum messily. "Pilot's growing up. It was in the documentation. When each chao grows big enough, they form a cocoon and finalize their genetic code. They grow a little bigger, change color and shape, and come out ready for action. After they evolve, the only thing that will make them change drastically will be the chaos emeralds." 

"Oh!" said Sonic, realization dawning on his face. "Like how Chaos changed shape every time he got a new emerald? These guys can go perfect, too?" 

"Exactly." 

Tails' mood had flip-flopped. He was bouncing up and down with excitement. "So Pilot can fly when she comes out?" 

"Maybe." 

"How long before she's done?" 

"Two to four hours, I guess," said Slasher with a shrug that nearly upset Chalcon. "Oops, sorry Chal. Tails, I suggest you take Pilot into your hut so nobody steps on her." 

"All right!" The fox shot away in the direction of the village. 

"Gee," said Sonic with a grin, "I think I want to watch, too. C'mon Velos, let's watch Pilot so you can get some ideas!" 

Pilot did not stir when Tails lifted the cocoon. By this time she was nearly hidden within the shell, which was turning pearly-white. Tails set the cocoon on his bed, and he, Sonic and Velocity watched raptly for approximately five minutes. Then Sonic, bored at the prospect of a four-hour wait, suggested a computer game, and Tails agreed. Only Velocity continued to watch Pilot, as if he found her evolution much more interesting than a simple computer game. 

An hour rolled by. The shell was now solid white, and Pilot was no longer visible. Sonic, Tails and Velocity departed for lunch, came back and resumed their vigil. 

Tails was reading a book and Sonic was playing Rock, Scissors, Paper with Velocity, who was having trouble because his formless round paw couldn't form the shapes, when the cocoon became transparent again. Tails noticed first. "Sonic, look!" The blue hedgehog looked up and caught his breath. 

Pilot was a warm purple now, and a size bigger than before. What caught Sonic's attention was that the knobs on her head had become a pair of long, drooping head-tails, astonishingly like Nights, a being he had met in a dream. "How ...?" he said, pointing. "Tails, she looks just like Nights! How in the world ...?" 

"That's what Nights looks like?" asked Tails, admiring Pilot's new shape. "Ooo, look at her wings, Sonic! Look at those suckers!" Pilot had a pair of yellow wings that were two feet wide from tip to tip. "I'll bet she can fly now! Oh, I can't wait until she's done!" 

The cocoon was growing transparent much quicker than it had grown solid. Before long it was no more clouded than a pane of glass, and still Pilot slept on, unaware of the transformation that had occurred. 

"Do you think she'll be hungry?" Tails said suddenly, frowning, every inch an expectant mother. "When they hatched they were hungry. I better go get some food. Be right back." The fox dashed from the hut. Sonic waited with Velocity, watching the shell dissolve like smoke. Pilot's breathing sped up a little; she seemed on the verge of waking. "Hurry up, Tails, or she'll hatch without you," Sonic muttered. 

Tails arrived just in time. As he set down a basket of late- summer fruit, the faint remnants of the cocoon vanished into mist. Pilot yawned and opened her eyes, as if awakened by the fresh air. She turned, saw the three spectators, and shrieked, "Tails!" 

In an instant she leaped off the bed and flung herself into his arms. Tails was knocked to the floor by her increased weight, and sat there giggling as Pilot hugged him. She released him and bounced up and down, fluttering her golden feathery wings. A constant stream of chatter flowed from her little mouth, as if she were saying all the things she had longed to say before she could talk. It was a moment before Sonic adjusted his ears enough to understand her. 

"... and Velocity is always picking on me and I want to fly now and I love you, Tails, and I miss Chimera and Max and that big mean bird was so scary and I'm hungry and I want to fly and has anyone else otiaed yet and I'm so glad to be done and how do I look now?" 

Tails, who couldn't stop laughing in his delight, stood up and carried Pilot to his little wall mirror. Pilot took one look and let out a scream. "I'm DIFFERENT!" she wailed. A second later she was having Tails turn her about so she could look herself over. She touched her long head-tails, stroked her soft wings and flexed her little hands, which were no longer blobs. She turned and looked up at Sonic with violet eyes, smiled and said, "Hello Sonic, Velocity and the others will otiae soon, don't worry." She returned her gaze to the mirror. 

"What's 'otiae'? Tails asked, looking at Sonic, who shrugged. 

"What I did," said Pilot matter-of-factly. "Going to otiae sleep and changing shape. Oh, I'm hungry." She had spotted the basket of fruit. Tails set her down and watched her hop to it, fluttering like a bird unsure of its wings. 

Sonic looked down at Velocity. The green chao was staring at Pilot with obvious longing. He wanted to talk, too. 

Sonic carried Velocity about the village at top speed, partly to announce Pilot's awakening, and partly to influence Velocity still more toward speed. It worked. Velocity was abnormally sleepy when Sonic returned him to the chao pen. When Sonic checked on him ten minutes later, Velocity had formed a cocoon. 

That evening, Elleno, Zinc and Chalcon also formed cocoons. As the doting parents were standing about, admiring, the radio set in Rotor's hut beeped. Rotor and Sally ran to it, and found themselves talking to a worried Knuckles. Max and Chimera had white things over them; was that okay? "Yes!" Sally laughed, and explained about their own chao and the growth stage. 

"Oh, good," said Knuckles with relief in his voice. They heard him call distantly, "It's okay you guys, they're supposed to do that." Then more clearly, into the microphone, he said, "There's been a panic out here, let me tell you." 

Once again the chao were intensely interesting. Pilot was something of a celebrity for several hours. Everyone wanted to stroke her purple head and have her greet them by name, for she knew the names of everyone. 

Then Velocity exited otiae, and Pilot was nearly forgotten. Velocity was dark blue, and looked for all the world like a miniature Sonic. He had a set of long, stiff spines on the back of his head. The first words out of his mouth when he awakened were, "See, I can talk, too." He smiled at Pilot with all his white teeth and said, "Now we'll see if I can pound you." 

"Wait until Elleno hatches," replied Pilot smugly. "She'll do all the beating up around here." 

But it was Zinc who came out of otiae next. "Look, look!" Zephyer squealed. "He's silver now! Oh Zinc, I take back everything I ever said about you being ugly!" 

Zinc smiled, a pleasant smile without malice or pride. "I know you didn't mean it." The mutant chao's dull grey had turned a polished silver, like chrome. Indeed, it was the only improvement. Zinc's eyes remained negatized, with white pupils, and on his forehead were two stubby horns, oddly reminiscent of a rhinoceros. It gave him a jumbled appearance. "I'm the same color as you now," said Zinc, patting Zephyer's metal arm. "I like silver." 

Serena was hovering about anxiously, waiting for Elleno's cocoon to vanish. Chalcon's cocoon was still opaque white, and Elleno's was nearly clear, but Serena couldn't see her in the twilight under the trees. "She'll probably be dark blue, like Velocity," Serena muttered, leaning against the fence. "They were identical, after all." All the same, Serena's curiosity was running high. All the chao had changed so dramatically it was like opening a Christmas present each time one came out of otiae. The violet hedgehog raised her eyes to watch Tails a short distance away, trying to show Pilot how to fly. A soft sigh drew her attention back to the pen. Elleno had hatched. 

She bore hedgehog characteristics, too--a row of spines down her head and back--but she was a cool shade of violet. She had a small forelock that tumbled untidily over her eyes, and her ears were rather short. She turned her head, saw Serena and smiled. "Serena!" she said in a high voice, scrambling to her feet. She ran to the fence, and Serena picked her up. "I'm all done!" Elleno announced proudly. "Do you like me anymore?" This was spoken with a worried look into Serena's face, as if the chao feared her new form would seem repulsive to her mistress. "Oh yes!" said Serena, hugging her. "You look like me! I don't believe it! Let's go see the others." 

Chalcon was left in limbo inside his cocoon, alone and forgotten by all save Slasher. After a while the big raptor appeared and peered at the cocoon. It was just beginning to turn transparent again. Curious and wondering if his wounds had affected his growth, Slasher crouched and peered at the cocoon's occupant. He was larger than before, but as far as she could see, he was simply a bigger version of the simple chao. "You poor little thing," Slasher murmured. 

It was quite a while before Chalcon came out of otiae. His evolution had taken twice as long as everyone else's, and he had changed the least. He climbed to his feet and looked up at Slasher, a plain chao with nothing impressive about him. "Am ... am I ugly?" he whispered. 

"Oh no," Slasher assured him, picking him up. "You're much bigger than you were before. How do you feel?" 

"All right, I guess. I'm hungry." 

"Well then, we'll get you something to eat." Slasher started to say something about how much the other chao had changed, but bit her tongue. Chalcon would soon see for himself. 

The four celebrities were sitting around a bonfire at the north end of the village. Elleno was feasting on a tomato, while the other chao, stuffed to the ears, sat back and watched her. "Those are gross," said Velocity. "I don't know how you can stand them." 

"They're fruit, too," said Elleno indignantly, and stuck out her tomatoey tongue at him. 

"Hey look," said Pilot, "Chalcon's finished! Hi, Chalcon!" The purple chao waved without getting up, and so did Zinc and Velocity. 

Elleno got up and waved, too. "Chalcon! Come here and try a tomato and show Velocity that it's not gross!" 

Chalcon looked up at Slasher, who whispered, "They're good. Go on." She set him down next to Elleno, who handed him a cherry tomato. Chalcon waited until Slasher had seated herself nearby, then hesitantly took a tiny nip. His eyes lit up at once, and he polished off the rest in two bites. "These are good!" he said, licking his paw, which had not formed into a hand. He also tried plums, cherries, peaches and nectarines, but tomatoes remained his favorite. 

The chao stuffed themselves, enjoying the first day of 'really being alive', as Zinc put it. "After all," said the silver chao, "you can't do much when you're a little baby." 

Then the five curled up in their masters or mistresss' laps, and blinked sleepily into the fire as the Freedom Fighters told stories. The only chao who did not doze was Velocity, who sat alert in Sonic's lap and listened, ears pricked as high as they would go. He was the only chao still awake when Sonic reeled out the old yarn of how he had rescued Serena from the clutches of Metal Sonic, by now much inflated. Metal Sonic had become the embodiment of evil, and always lurked in the shadows with red eyes glimmering, while Sonic had become a superhero with awesome powers and strength. Velocity listened, all but forgotten, staring at Sonic with an expression of absolute horror. He would have nightmares that night. 

When the story was finished, the first one to break the silence was the blue chao. "Is Metal Sonic real?" 

Sonic noticed Slasher's eye fixed on him. "Oh sure, but he's not scary. He's just a wimpy robot. You know, like a hoverbike or something. He's just a bunch of metal parts bolted together." 

"Oh." Velocity didn't question this. His brain was not yet developed to the point where he actually thought things out and asked questions. But he would have cause to remember Sonic's definition of a robot later.


	4. Chapter 4

Robotnik walked into his study, flipped on the light, and let out an oath. His study, though never exactly tidy, had never looked like this. Every book had been removed from the bookcases, every drawer in his desk had been opened and papers littered the floor. Crouched in the midst of the chaos was Leviathan. The big robot blinked at his master and rose to his feet, a large volume gripped in his claws. "What are you doing in here?" Robotnik snarled in outrage. "What have you done to my study?" 

"I have ransacked it," said the robot quietly, with an edge of steel in his voice. In a year, prisoners who heard that tone would be mercilessly shredded afterward. "I was reading your books. You do not mind, I hope." 

"Of course I mind!" said the doctor, stamping to the desk. "Look at this mess! Why did you do this?" He turned to face the robot, to find Leviathan with a strange, cold look on his masked face. The teeth in his lower jaw were showing. "If you knew what was healthy, you would not question me. I supplementing my memory with necessary data. That is all you must know." The dinosaur tossed his book on the desk and stalked out of the room. Robotnik glared after him, furious. Even Robo Knux, in the midst of his rebellion, had shown more respect than that. The beast was out of control ...! 

Robotnik slid the book over and glanced at the title. It read, "Earth Dictators, Volume 2 -- Napoleon to Hitler." 

* * *

Chimera and Max had been in the midst of a scuffle when they suddenly fell into otiae-sleep, as if someone had thrown a switch. Hence the panic among the islanders when Knuckles called Knothole. 

The two chao didn't seem to notice what had happened. As soon as the cocoons vanished, leaving Chimera bright red with a mass of short horns on the back of his head, and Max green and yellow with a bizarre head shape and long, flipper-like ears, the two resumed their fight. Knuckles was laughing, and Talon was staring so hard at Max that no one moved to break them up. 

Then Max fled, whimpering, to Talon. "He bit me!" he wailed, holding out an arm, which was now a flipper. Talon knelt soberly and examined it, trying to hide a smile. "It's not serious," the anteater told his chao. "Max, do you notice anything unusual?" 

The chao looked around at Chimera, who was standing with a paw braced against Knuckles's knee. The red chao gave the green one a wicked smile. "Chimera's a different color," Max said. 

"What about you?" asked Chimera in a sneery voice. "Don't you realize we just otiaed?" 

Max gasped and looked down at himself. He had been talking without noticing it, and he was bigger! How had he not noticed? Speechless, he looked up at Talon. The anteater picked him up and squeezed him. Max giggled and flung his flippers around Talon's neck. The two grinned at Knuckles, who had picked up Chimera and grinned back. Chimera put on a superior face and said, "I'm a fire chao and you're a water chao, so there." He stuck his pointed snout into the air with a smirk. 

"Which is why you don't get along, eh?" Knuckles said, rubbing Chimera's head roughly. 

"I'm hungry," Max said, turning to Talon seriously. 

"Okay," said Talon. He looked at Knuckles and said, "I'm taking him up to the house, sir." Knuckles nodded, and Talon walked away, stroking Max and talking to him as he went. 

"Wimp," said Chimera. Knuckles glared at him. "I mean Max, not Talon," said Chimera hurriedly. "He's so whiny it makes me sick." He gave Knuckles a sideways look and smiled through his teeth. "I'm hungry, too. Will we be assigned the chaos emeralds soon?" 

Knuckles looked at his chao in surprise. How had he known about their plans to give each chao an emerald? Well, it wasn't healthy to lie to a chao. "Yes, eventually," said Knuckles, "but not now. You haven't grown enough. Besides, it made you sick." 

"I wouldn't get sick now!" said Chimera indignantly. 

"Yeah, you would," said Knuckles. "Let's give you some dinner, shall we?" 

"Oh, all right," grumbled the chao, who had clearly been looking forward to getting his paws on an emerald. "But remember, I get the red one." 

* * *

The days passed. The chao grew in mind and body, and their attachment to their owners strengthened. 

August flew by, and September arrived in a flurry of golden leaves. The nights grew chill, but the days remained hazy and warm. Knothole gathered, preserved and traded food industriously, for this was the season of plenty. 

Several times Slasher departed on solitary hunting trips and returned two or three days later with a dead deer slung across her shoulders. The meat was dried, salted and frozen, until everything had been used, even the hide, which would be tanned. The village worked with an intensity not felt in previous years. Only the previous year they had nearly starved to death, and they were determined it would not happen again. 

The five Knothole chao were in the thick of everything. They had never seen such excitement and work in their short lives, and were eager to see it all. On any given day they could be found indoors, watching Serena stir a large pot of bubbling blackberry jelly, or watching Sally peel apples by the bushel with a contraption Rotor had built. Or they might be located in the trees, picking apples and nuts with their owners--usually Pilot and Tails--or watching Rotor and Spike patch roofs and tighten shingles. 

It was at the height of this busy time that an element of fear was added to the mix. 

Sonic had been knocking down yellow apples with a broom handle while Velocity scurried around on the ground, catching them in a basket. The two were enjoying themselves, and didn't pay much attention when the rest of the apple-picking group departed for lunch. "I've eaten so many apples," said Velocity, "that I couldn't hold another bite anyway. Ouch!" An apple struck him on the head. The indigo chao stood up straight and said, "I have just discovered gravity!" 

"See if you can catch these, Isaac!" Sonic exclaimed, knocking loose a cluster of apples that bounced down through the branches and leaves. Velocity raced around to catch them in his basket. 

Sonic was leaning on his broom, watching his chao and laughing, when he saw something shine out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head a little and glanced in its direction. 

An instant later the hedgehog snatched up Velocity and was beating it homeward at ninety miles an hour, careening off tree trunks and hurtling logs. The chao, unaware anything was wrong, rode in Sonic's arms, giggling at their wild flight. But Sonic ran with many a glance over his shoulders, heart ricocheting about his ribcage. 

The hedgehog skidded into the main street of the village and gasped to a passerby, "Where's Slasher? Where's Slasher?" The ferret pointed down the road to where the big raptor was talking to a villager between bites of a sandwich. Sonic tore toward her. 

The big raptor saw his face and guessed something was amiss at once. "What's wrong?" she asked as he skidded to a halt in a cloud of dust. "Something happen to Velocity?" 

"No," Sonic gasped, looking over his shoulder again. "Slasher--it was Creeah! I saw Creeah!" 

Slasher stiffened, and her green eyes grew wide. "Where? Are you sure?" 

"I saw something shining, and I glanced up, and--he was watching me through the bushes, not ten feet away!" Sonic said, gesturing wildly with one hand. Velocity, in the crook of his other arm, was watching and listening innocently. "Who's Creeah?" he asked. They both ignored him. 

"But that's impossible," Slasher muttered, gazing off in the direction Sonic had come from. "Creeah's dead! I saw him die and examined him afterward. He--are you sure?" she interrupted herself, gazing at Sonic. 

Sonic gulped and looked over his shoulder for the thousandth time, as if expecting the dreaded dinosaur to leap into sight any moment. 

"Who's Creeah?" the forgotten Velocity inquired again. 

"A bad guy, like Metal Sonic," Sonic explained hastily. "Velos, you stay here. Me and Slasher will be right back." He set the chao down, swung up onto Slasher's high back, and she loped off. Velocity watched them go sulkily. "I'm not scared," he mumbled. 

The creature Sonic had seen was no longer there, but Slasher sniffed about and soon located where it had been standing. Sonic listened to her sniff and felt her sides puff beneath him. "Was it Creeah?" he ventured after a moment. 

"No," was the reply. More sniffing. Slasher moved a few steps further into the bushes. At last her head came up, and she looked around the area, eyes narrowed. "No, not Creeah," she muttered. "I don't believe it was a Robian at all." 

"Then what was it?" 

There was a moment of silence as Slasher pondered. "I don't know," she said at last. "There is a definite odor, but it was not of any animal or robot I've ever smelled. It was almost--but that's absurd." 

"What?" 

"It's almost like synthetic sweat," Slasher said slowly. "Get down and go find Velocity. I'm going to trail this thing for a while." Sonic obeyed, though not without many a foreboding backward glance. 

Velocity was seated on the ground, looking very put-out that he had been left behind like a cheap toy. Sonic picked him up, and to console him, told him the story of how he had met Zephyer on an island of dinosaurs, and how one of the raptors had been robotized and came after them, well-nigh invincible, and how Zephyer had sacrificed herself to save them from it. At the end, Velocity had forgotten his bad mood, and Sonic had remembered something. Creeah's head had not been robotized. But the creature he had seen had a bright silver head, which was what had attracted his attention in the first place. 

* * *

The mysterious reptilian creature was spotted several more times during the next week, but Slasher could never catch it; it seemed to vanish into thin air, without a footprint. Slasher was on edge, and the villagers took to packing pistols and blasters wherever they went. No one was allowed to leave the village alone, and the chao were guarded zealously. 

No one managed to get a good look at the thing, but everyone agreed it looked like an evil Slasher. Slasher was none too happy about this. "Robot raptors are dangerous," she said fretfully as she fed Chalcon with Serena and Elleno at her elbow. "Especially if it's programmed with raptor fighting techniques. Do you know what chance anybody stands in a hand-to-hand fight with one? Nilch. Nada. Nothing. You can't get in a hit on a robot unless you're one yourself." 

"We need a robot, then," said Elleno brightly, looking like a very young, optimistic Serena. "Somebody should turn into one." 

"No way," said Serena. "We're not robotizing anybody." 

"No, no," said Elleno, shaking her violet head. "I mean when we chao are given the chaos emeralds. A chao can partially decide what they will look like. And somebody should be a robot." 

"Armor would work, too," said Slasher. 

"Hmm," said Elleno, looking thoughtful. "Chalcon, do you think--" 

"No," said Chalcon with his mouth full. "I'm not going out looking for that monster! No!" 

"Well then, I'll ask the others," said Elleno. "C'mon, Serena." Elleno hopped down from her chair and bounced away. Serena waved to Slasher and followed her. 

Of the five Knothole chao, only Zinc was interested in the robot idea. Perhaps it was because of Zephyer's metal. "I wouldn't mind taking on that creature," said the silver chao to Zephyer once Elleno had departed. "I'm not afraid of a fight. It might turn coward and run from me." 

"But what would you look like?" Zephyer asked, unable to think beyond the simple chao-shape before her. She envisioned a chao clad in metal. 

"A chao doesn't know until they've changed," said Zinc seriously, gazing into Zephyer's face. "But I expect to be as big as you, at least." 

Zephyer stroked his gleaming head and thought about the 'secret weapon'. If a chao were given a chaos emerald, they would indeed be a weapon. But would they still have the same personality? Could they be trusted? 

That evening, the echidna approached Sally and asked her when they were to give the chao the emeralds. "Well," said the squirrel, "we were planning to give them to them this weekend, actually. Knuckles and Talon are coming in Saturday with Max and Chimera. Slasher already divvied up all the emeralds. Your chao gets the white one." 

Zephyer kept this in mind. 

On Friday, the echidna awoke with the feeling that something would happen that day. As the morning progressed, the feeling grew until Zephyer was jumping at every sound. As a safeguard, she charged up the pistol in her left arm, and took the white chaos emerald from its place in Sonic's hut. 

All the same, nothing happened until Serena called, "Hey Zeff, want to go to the river with Elleno and me?" 

The two girls and their chao walked down the path toward the river, laughing and talking to each other and their chao. Zephyer almost forgot her premonition. Zinc and Elleno chattered and pretended to scuffle now and then. 

The girls had paused during one such play-scuffle to laugh at their chao's antics when it happened. A large, gleaming shape flashed out of the the trees to the left and pounced on Zephyer and Serena at the same time. The two screamed as they went down, and so did the chao, who scampered to a safe distance and turned. 

Zephyer opened her eyes and saw a large steel foot planted on her chest, the long, spike-like claws inches from her nose. Serena was lying nearby with the creature's steel hand wrapped around her throat, totally helpless. Zinc and Elleno were standing a few feet away, watching uselessly. 

She had no idea how she thought of it afterward, but Zephyer unsnapped a panel on her hip, dug out the white emerald and threw it at Zinc. He caught it, looked at it an instant, then popped it into his mouth. 

There was a flash of light. The robot thing looked away from Serena with a snort, letting her breathe again, but not moving from his victims. Zinc's body was solid white light, and slowly began to grow. It lengthened, stretching upward. Then the light faded away, leaving--something. "Stay back Elleno!" it yelled, and charged at the raptor robot. 

The fight lasted two seconds. Zinc slammed into the raptor, the raptor kicked back with a snarl, then leaped into the woods and vanished. 

Zinc's new form helped Zephyer and Serena to their feet. The two stared, even though Serena was still coughing. Zinc was a robot echidna like Robo Knux, but was a solid silver color. His black eyes now fit perfectly, and his pupils were white mecha-bot circles. His two horns had become a pair of foot-long daggers, the rear one serrated like a steak knife. His body was thickly armored, especially his chest and arms, but his echidna-dreadlocks were soft and floppy like Zephyer's, as if they were real hair painted silver. 

"Are you okay, Serena?" Zinc asked soberly. His voice was somewhat lower than before. Serena nodded, rubbing her neck. She looked quite pale, but walked over, picked up Elleno and hugged her to her chest. 

Zinc turned to Zephyer. "And are you all right?" 

"I think so," said Zephyer, unable to take her eyes off him. "Zinc ... you're a robot echidna!" 

"Yes," said Zinc. "I have seen how lonely you are, as both a robot and an echidna. I thought you might feel better if there was another like you." 

Zephyer looked at Serena. The hedgehog was shaken and had broken a light sweat, but Elleno was staring at Zinc's new form with wide eyes. "You're so lucky," the chao breathed. "Serena, if I had an emerald--" 

"Let's go home," said Serena abruptly. "I feel sick." She looked it. 

They reentered Knothole, Zephyer walking on one side of Serena and Zinc on the other like a massive bodyguard. People looked at them in surprise and shock, for it appeared the echidnas had taken Serena hostage. 

Sonic appeared out of nowhere and barred their way. "Serena!" he exclaimed. "What's going on? Who are YOU?" He glared at Zinc. 

"That's Zinc," said Serena faintly. "He's okay. I need to lay down." She stepped around Sonic and jogged toward her hut. Sonic glanced after her, then frowned at the newcomer. "Who are you really? Who sent you? What'd you do to my sister?" 

"I didn't do anything," said Zinc, blinking his white eyes. "I merely saved her from that robot velociraptor. I am Zinc with the white chaos emerald." 

Sonic turned to Zephyer, unbelieving. "That's not Zinc, is it?" 

Zephyer nodded, beginning to smile in spite of herself. "I gave him the white emerald and he chased the raptor off. It had pinned Serena and me both." 

Sonic's jaw dropped. "You--you're a chao?" he spluttered to Zinc. Zinc nodded. Sonic looked at Zephyer again. "But we weren't supposed to give them the emeralds until tomorrow!" 

"Sure, what am I supposed to do, sit there and let the raptor kill us?" said Zephyer, placing her hands on her hips. 

Sonic frowned, opened his mouth, closed it again and waved a hand. "I guess I'm glad you're safe, forget it."


	5. Chapter 5

The next day was monumental in two ways. 

Firstly, the chao were assigned the chaos emeralds. 

Chimera took the red one, as he had requested. He grew into a fiery red dragon, although he was only four feet tall. "This is more like it," he said with a toothy grin as Knuckles stroked his scaly head. The spikes on his head had become a frill around the back of his skull, like a horny toad's. 

Pilot took the purple emerald. Tails was delighted to see her grow into a young Pegasus. She was purple with yellow wings, mane, tail and hooves. She shook her short mane, whinnied and thrust her nose against Tails's chest. "I'm not full size," she told him, "but it'll do. Hop on!" Tails did, and the Pegasus swept into the air, bounded around the village and landed again, Tails laughing so hard he could hardly hold on. 

Zinc, of course, had the white emerald, and was sitting on the sidelines with Zephyer, watching. 

Velocity took the dark blue emerald. He grew, stretched and transformed into a cheetah with a metal-plated head and upper jaw, jet engines embedded in his shoulders. "Oh wow," said Sonic, slapping the cat's sleek spotted back, "I didn't expect to get an android!" 

"Hey, take it easy there," said Velocity, grinning and twitching his tail. "You're not the only fast dude on Mobius, now." The two immediately shot away in a pair of blue streaks, leaving the smell of dust and exhaust on the air. They returned two seconds later. "So that was Robotropolis, eh?" Velocity asked. 

"Yep!" Sonic told him. "Now quit bragging and watch Max." 

Max was sitting in Talon's arms, shivering nervously. "Does it hurt?" he asked fearfully as he held the green emerald in his flippers. 

"Yeah!" Chimera yelled, a few sparks flying out of his mouth. "It hurts an awful lot! I thought I'd die from the pain!" 

"It doesn't hurt a bit, honey," said Pilot from the other direction. "Go ahead." 

Max looked at Talon for reassurance, and Talon nodded for him to proceed. Max sank his teeth into the emerald. He turned white, grew and faded in again as a larger version of his former self. He looked like a cross between a sea serpent and a frog, with a wide, thin body, and webbed hind feet like a duck's. His forelimbs were long, powerful flippers, and his head was square with a heavy lower jaw. "It did not hurt!" Max shouted at Chimera. 

Elleno came next with the orange stone. "Here goes," she said, glancing at Serena, then bit the emerald in her hands. She flashed white, grew and solidified into a violet hedgehog with white armor on her head, arms, chest and legs. In her hands was a powerful compound bow, slung at her hip was a quiver of arrows, and strapped to her back was a small rocket booster. "Serena, watch this!" she called. She shot into the sky fifty feet, whipped an arrow to the string, aimed and fired. The arrow shot earthward and embedded itself, quivering, in a tiny knot in the wall of a nearby hut. Serena cheered and clapped as Elleno descended, grinning. 

Chalcon was last. He had cowered to the ground and hid behind Slasher's ankles when Pilot and Elleno had taken to the sky, and was now trembling as he took the last emerald, the sky-blue one. He inched out to where the other chao had transformed, paws shaking so much he dropped his emerald twice. He looked at Slasher, who smiled reassuringly. Then Chalcon slowly put the emerald in his mouth. 

Nothing happened. 

Uneasy glances flickered through the group. "What's the matter?" Max whispered to Talon. 

"I don't know," said the anteater, looking at Knuckles. 

Knuckles shook his head. "Something went wrong." 

Chalcon spit the emerald back into his hands and called, "What did I do wrong?" He was offered advice from several quarters, none of which was any help. At last, humiliated, the little failed chao ran back to Slasher and hid behind her, sobbing. 

Later, the chao owners put their heads together and figured out what was amiss. Chalcon had been terrified of being handled when he was young, and his genetic programming was not set up to change him into anything. The chaos emeralds had no effect on him. He would probably remain a little chao forever. 

* * *

The second monumental thing that happened that day took place hundred of miles away, in the Final Egg ground base. 

Robo Knux burst into Metal Sonic's quarters without knocking, green eyes flamingly bright. Metal Sonic looked up from the floor, where he was waxing himself. "What is it, oh rude one?" he asked sarcastically. 

"Oh shut up," said the crimson robot, shutting the door and locking it. "I have something dreadful to tell you." 

"What? That my internal power core is stronger than yours?" 

Robo Knux was clearly in no mood to play around. He grabbed Mecha by the head and yanked him to his feet. "Shut up and listen to me! Leviathan is gone." 

"Of course he's gone," said Metal Sonic, delicately flicking a dust particle off his polished arm. "He was assigned a mission to harass the Freedom Fighters two weeks ago." 

"No, I mean he's really gone!" said Robo Knux, a note of panic in his synthetic voice. "I found this transmission in the computer today! Listen." He played the message through his external speaker. It was Leviathans oily, biological voice saying, "I have decided to strike out on my own and continue Dr. Robotnik's work. Mecha bots 2 and 4, I contain your entire databanks in my files. There is nothing you know that I do not. Perhaps we will meet again." 

Metal Sonic and Robo Knux stared at each other as the message ended. "What have we done," said Mecha at 1/3rd volume. "Continue Dr. Robotnik's work? Do you know what that means he's going to do?" 

"And he has all of our memory," said Robo Knux, also at 1/3rd volume. 

"I must inform Dr. Robotnik," said Mecha suddenly, moving toward the door. 

Robo Knux followed him. "And I'm going raptor-hunting." 

"Enlist the Freedom Fighters if you must," said Mecha over his shoulder as the robots parted ways in the hall. "He must be stopped at all costs!" 

Robo Knux nodded and glided away, but stopping Leviathan was at the bottom of his list. No, he had something much, much more amusing in mind ... 

* * *

Fall drew on into late September. Rotor set each chaos emerald in a thin band of silver and chain, so each chao could wear their gem. For a while the chao alternated between small form and large form, simply for the novelty of it. The emeralds were not without their effects. Pilot learned to fly as a chao, Velocity could run almost as fast as Sonic, Chimera could breathe not-quite-fire at will, and Max could swim like a fish and stay under water for an hour at a time. Zinc remained rather puny, and Elleno worked fiercely at learning to fire a little wooden bow Spike whittled for her. 

Chalcon was miserable. He sat for hours at a time in Slasher's hut, staring at the wall. "I'm useless," he told Slasher one day. "I should die. I'll never amount to anything." 

"Chal," she said, "who cares if you don't have a large form? You're good tempered, everyone likes you and you're smart." 

"So?" Chalcon said dully. "It doesn't matter. I'm a failure." 

Slasher departed and returned a little later with a stack of books. "Fine. I want you to sit in here and read these instead of brooding. I won't have any chao of mine being stupid." 

"But I can't read!" Chalcon wailed dismally, looking at the heavy, leather-bound volumes. 

Slasher looked at him with a green eye. "All chao can read, especially after they've otiaed. Now get to work, you little slacker." She grinned and shoved a large book in his direction. 

Chalcon couldn't read very well at first, but he learned fast. Soon he was spending hours reading instead of brooding, and his I/Q soared. Soon he felt quite the intellectual equal of the other chao, and held his head up when he walked around the village. He had a emerald too, after all, even if he couldn't use it. 

One fall day, Slasher, Talon and Zephyer took their chao on a walk through the woods. The trail was blanketed eight inches deep in rich, crackly leaves that made it sound as if a battalion were moving through. Zinc, Max and Chalcon were in small forms and romping through the leaves alongside the trail. Talon was not much disposed to talk, content merely to stroll and enjoy the woods, so Zephyer and Slasher were chattering. They were only a few minutes' walk from the village, although the chao clamored to go further. "Sure, and have us carry you all the way back," Zephyer said, chucking an acorn at Zinc. 

Suddenly Talon froze, ears pointed down the path. Slasher and Zephyer heard his sharp intake of breath and saw the hair rising in a strip down his back. "Talon, what's wrong?" Slasher asked. Talon opened his mouth, drew a few quick, panicked breaths, then wheeled, snatched up Max and leaped behind Slasher. The big raptor looked back at him, noted he was trembling and holding one hand over Max's mouth, then turned sideways and dropped a wing like a curtain to hide him from view. Then she and Zephyer faced whoever was coming. 

They didn't have long to wait. A slim figure appeared in the distance. It could have been Sally, but it was too tall. 

"Who is that?" Zephyer asked, squinting. 

Slasher squinted, too. "Looks like an anteater--dark fur--orange pants, red shirt." 

"Kardot," whispered Talon from behind her wing. "It's Kardot! She's found me!" 

He looked imploringly at Slasher, who touched a claw to the front of her jaws. "Quiet. We'll see what she wants." 

Chalcon scurried to take refuge behind Slasher's ankle. Zephyer looked rigidly at Slasher, teeth clenched. "Kardot?" 

They all knew the story by now; of how Kardot had tracked Talon to the Floating Island and ended up nearly killing him. She was an android of a new, advanced technology. Zephyer's eyes narrowed, and she turned to face the oncoming newcomer, morphing her arms into her sword and laser pistol. Zinc moved up beside her protectively. 

The anteater walked quite close before she noticed Zephyer's weapons. "Whoa babe, overdoing it a little, aren't you?" She tossed her orange forelock over one eye and placed a clawed hand on her hip. Her fur was almost black, her eyes were an unusual olive color, and her one marking was the orange stripe down her forehead to the end of her nose. Her voice was clear and cultured, as if she spoke several languages. She looked Zephyer over with a scornful expression, then sized up Slasher. "Hello," she said. "You're Freedom Fighters, right?" Slasher and Zephyer nodded. Talon shrank a few inches further behind Slasher's wing. 

"Great," said Kardot. "I'm Kardot, and I need some help." 

"What kind of help?" said Zephyer through her teeth. She had not missed the contemptuous look Kardot had given her. 

"It's this, babe," said the anteater. "My little brother Konya ran away from home a month ago. I believe he's hiding out on the Floating Island. Do you think you could contact the guardian and ask him to send my brother home? My brother goes by Talon most of the time." Her eyes swept Zephyer again, and she smirked. "You're the guardian's species, so you should be able to get his attention, even with all that ... metal." She pronounced the word as if it were a cancer. 

Slasher spoke before Zephyer could form a suitable retort. "I'm sorry, but we can't help you. We have no way of contacting the guardian, even if he wanted to be contacted. He's quite reclusive." 

Kardot's lip curled in a sneer that did not contribute to her looks. "Still hasn't made up with you, has he? Thanks anyway for your ... help." She flashed a perfect smile at Zephyer, turned with a spin that made her long, glossy hair catch the sunlight, and walked away like a haughty supermodel. 

Zephyer was quivering with fury. She wheeled to face Slasher, hands reappearing in place of her weapons. "She did that on purpose! She was making fun of me!" 

"Cool it," said Slasher, eyes half-closed. "She's programmed to act like that. You're competition for Knuckles." 

"Competition?" Zephyer exclaimed, voice rising to a near shriek. "Does she think I'm after him or something?" 

"She might," said Slasher. "Talon, are you all right?" 

The anteater poked his head around her wing, eyes like saucers. "Is she gone?" 

"Yes." 

He came out, clutching Max to his chest, who looked as terrified as his master. "She's alive," he gasped. "I knew she wouldn't die. I knew she would come back. I knew it!" 

Slasher put an arm around his shoulders. "She won't get you as long as you're here." 

Talon leaned against her, his young face taking on a ferocious glare as he thought about the encounter. "That was her lie last time, too. 'My little brother'. I hate her!" 

"We don't have any way of contacting Knuckles?" Zinc asked from Zephyer's side. His gleaming emerald was held lightly in his paws, as it had been the entire time Kardot has spoke. 

Slasher looked at him. "Technically. Rotor is installing a new plug in our radio set, so for a few hours, we have no way of contacting the Floating Island." 

Zinc nodded. He had just learned the art of telling half the truth. 

* * *

That was the last suspicious incident for the rest of the winter. The village settled down as cold weather drew near, with their stored food and chao. Often Knuckles dropped off Chimera for weeks at a time, for the little chao insisted on following him around, and during the winter, the Floating Island was a forbidding place. 

Talon also stayed in Knothole for long periods. Not only could he look after Chimera, but Knuckles had heard about Kardot's reappearance. He felt Talon would be safer in Knothole. Talon thought otherwise, but reluctantly did as Knuckles wished. 

The only chao who did not like the cold were Pilot and Chimera. They were the heat-chao, the ones who had hatched in Tails's windowsill. They went about in sweaters and hovered near heaters and fireplaces. Chimera was miserable in the cold, without Knuckles, and didn't have the heart to bite anyone. He didn't even bicker with Max. Pilot hung around with him, shivering and not saying much. 

The other chao enjoyed the winter and snow. Elleno told Serena that winter was her favorite season. They built snow-chao (ten inches tall), had snowball fights, and went sledding with their owners. Max found he could swim in the snow just like in water, and life became much more interesting for him. Often he would morph into his large form, let Talon sit on his back, and sled down a hill on his smooth belly. 

Velocity viewed the snow as a sabotage element. He built snowforts by the dozen, most in some strategic place to take people unawares. Most often Sonic would be minding his own business, and suddenly get a snowball in the neck. Velocity enjoyed it, and often Elleno helped him, as she was every bit as mischievous as he was. 

Zinc noticed Zephyer's dislike of the cold, but couldn't fathom it. Why hate the beautiful snow? He romped in it with the other chao, sledding with Tails (who couldn't persuade Pilot to come outside) and engaging in furious snowball battles with Velocity and Elleno. 

Chalcon's greatest interest in the snow was how Max could swim in it. It caught his fancy, and he begged Max to show him how. Unfortunately he was not strong enough. The other chao watched and pitied him. Convinced he was a failure at physical sports, he returned to his books. 

News of the outside world became scarce as the winter progressed. This was unfortunate for the Freedom Fighters, for the rest of the world deemed that winter the most terrible of any they had yet seen, for a new dictator had arisen and was waging war with the countries in the north. But Knothole knew nothing of it. 

But with the melting of the snow in April came news. Indeed, too much of it. With the land and river opening up, refugees appeared, fleeing south with their few possessions on their backs. The local Freedom Fighter bands took them in and listened with horror to the stories they told. Stories of slaughter and looting, of whole towns led prisoner by creatures that were neither Mobian nor robot. These refugees gasped and ran whenever Slasher came into sight. That alone was enough to tell them that the robot velociraptor was one of the marauding beasts. 

After several dozen such terrified survivors had passed through, Slasher made up her mind to see for herself what was going on. 

She asked Sonic and Tails to go with her. When she warned them that it would be very dangerous and they would probably be fired upon, the two forgot the vague trepidation of the refugees' and clamored to go at once. Tails requested permission to bring Pilot along, and of course Sonic asked about Velocity. "No," Slasher said, shaking her narrow head. "No chao. It's too dangerous." Sonic and Tails exchanged a glance and nodded. 

The three set out at noon, equipped with an area scanner and enough food and medical supplies for several days. The watery sun was bright and cheerful, although the wind biting their faces was chilly. Slasher's wings rose and fell on either side, the feathers glinting a warm gold. Sonic, breathing great lungfuls of air and exulting in the flight, noticed that a few inches ahead of him, Tails's backpack was wriggling. After a moment the zipper slid back stealthily, and Pilot's purple face peered out at the world. She saw Sonic looking at her and winked. Sonic winked back with a silent grin. There was no need to tell her that Velocity was curled up in his own pack; she knew. He only hoped Slasher didn't know. 

"Our first stop is Silvaline," said Slasher over her shoulder. "The last three people who came through were from there. I hope to get a glimpse of the monster things." 

"I talked to that deer," said Tails enthusiastically. "He told me he hadn't seen such robots since Robotnik. Except he didn't call them robots. He called them biotics." 

"Yeah, everybody keeps using that word," Sonic added. "I don't think it means what they think it means." 

"Perhaps it's the only word they could use to describe them," said Slasher. "They aren't Robians, but they aren't conventional robots, either. I don't know ... we'll have to wait and see." 

The landscape slid by below, and Sonic and Tails pointed out items of interest along the way. Slasher's wings beat steadily, carrying them on, but the big raptor said little. She was worrying about what they would find when they reached Silvaline. 

The sun swung west, the early spring air lost its warmth, and Sonic and Tails lapsed into silence. Sonic was glad for the hot little body curled against the small of his back. He reached back and patted Velocity through his backpack. Velocity patted his back in return. The little chao knew that silence was essential, and besides, being smuggled along was a grand lark. 

Sonic rubbed a finger across his invisible belt. It was invisible to all eyes but his, that is, and embedded in it were miniature replicas of the Super Emeralds. These miniatures were powered by the Supers themselves, from Hidden Palace's secret depths. This belt had been his standby weapon on many an adventure, but now he wondered about it. Long ago, in order to force the Super emeralds to materialize in Hidden Palace, the chaos emeralds had transferred an enormous amount of power to them. But summer before last, when Perfect Chaos had attacked Sapphire City, the chaos emeralds had been drained of their powers and Knuckles had transferred back the power they had lent the Supers. Sonic thought of this as he ran a fingernail over a gem's glassy surface. The supers had still worked afterward, it seemed, but he had only become Hyper Sonic twice since then. He wondered what would happen if he used the emeralds for a prolonged period, as he often did when facing robots. 

Sonic was roused from his reverie by Slasher saying suddenly, "There's Silvaline." The hedgehog and fox leaned over her wings for a look. 

Silvaline took up a good section of the river's length. It was either a large town or a small city, judging by the size of it, and it's numerous apartments and office buildings. For a second Sonic was reminded of Sapphire City. Then he looked again. 

The town was empty. The streets were empty, the buildings vacant, vehicles abandoned on the sides of the roads. Sonic gazed at it, a feeling of foreboding settled in his stomach as Slasher circled. Here and there were the charred remains of a house or building, but they appeared to have burned without affecting anything around them, as if the fire had been under strict control. Nothing moved, and there was no sound. 

"No people," said Tails. "What a creepy place." 

"Yeah," said Slasher, cocking her head from side to side. "There's a smell, too. I don't know what it is. Fear, maybe. Sonic, scan for lifeforms. We'll see if there's any survivors." 

Sonic slid off his backpack, opened it, smiled down at Velocity, who was lying on his back listening, and lifted out the bulky scanner. He returned the pack to his back, flipped on the scanner and studied it. The town below appeared in bright green, and lifeforms as different colored blips. "Ugh," said the hedgehog. "There's lots of ... non-survivors." 

"I was afraid of that," Slasher sighed. "But why take the trouble to hide all the bodies indoors?" 

Tails twisted around to look at the scanner, too. "Look, Sonic," he said, pointing. "There's a survivor in that building." 

"That's not a survivor," said Sonic grimly. "White blips are robots." 

"Really?" said Slasher, looking over her shoulder at them. "Where? I wanted to see a robot." 

Sonic looked around, matching the buildings to the squares on the scanner. "That burned-out building," he said, pointing. "The office building." 

Slasher banked sideways and glided down into the silent street. She flared out her wings at the last second, backwatered and landed gently. Sonic and Tails slid down, and the wings closed above them. "Come on," the big raptor said quietly. "We'll see what we can see." 

They walked across the grassy lawn in front of the building (which looked as if it had been mowed only the day before), and climbed the steps to the front doors. Slasher glanced at her companions, then pushed them open and walked inside. They followed close behind her, alert and tense. 

The lobby was in shambles. It now appeared the burned-out shell it had looked from the air. The walls were blackened, the furniture turned over and ripped to shreds, the floor covered with burned debris. The ceiling at the rear of the room had caved in. 

Slasher held up a hand, and the three halted and listened. Sonic was aware of the layers of silence around him; the silence of the building, the silence of the street outside, the silence of the town ... 

All at once all three pricked up their ears. Something moved in the building above them somewhere. 

Slasher held out a hand. Sonic handed her his scanner. She adjusted it, looked at it a moment, then muttered, "Third floor." She handed the scanner back to Sonic and strode across the room to where the elevators had been. 

"Slash," said Sonic nervously, padding after her and returning the scanner to his backpack, "should I go hyper and go first?" The big raptor was standing inside the empty elevator shaft and didn't answer. Sonic looked around for Tails and saw him standing with his head cocked slightly, listening. Sonic listened, too, and detected a faint rustle from overhead. It was moving stealthily toward the elevator shaft. 

"Slash!" Sonic hissed. 

A crashing, banging up the shaft; terrifyingly loud in that stillness. Slasher leaped out of the shaft as the elevator car smashed to the ground. The three stared at it in shock, noting the burned debris plinking on its bent frame, the dust settling in a cloud around it. Slasher was panting, eyes slightly wild at nearly having her life snuffed out. "Get out of here," she whispered. 

Sonic and Tails were only too glad to comply. They fled the dark lobby for the open of the silent street. As they turned to look back, they saw Slasher bounding down the steps after them. And behind her was something else. 

It was a long, crawling shape like a giant lizard. It was at least as long as Slasher, but with much shorter legs, and it was all silver. Its eyes were burning red, and had hideously long claws on its front feet. "Oh, it's UGLY!" Tails cried in loathing. 

"Run!" Slasher yelled, leaping toward them. "I've seen enough!" 

On impulse Sonic yanked off his backpack and thrust it into the raptor's hands. "Take this, I'll stall it!" 

Slasher looked at him for an instant, eyes narrowed, holding his backpack with both hands. She had smelled Velocity. But there was no time for a scolding; she wheeled and ran away while Sonic turned to face the lizard. 

It had halted a short distance away, watching Slasher and Tails flee. Now it fixed its red eyes on Sonic and flicked a black tongue at him. It gave Sonic the creeps. It was too real to be a robot, and it had too much intelligence to be a Robian. It had been rightly called a biotic. 

Sonic crossed his wrists over the front of his belt, then reared erect, snapping his arms out behind him. Light sprang into his blue quills, flushing them a bright rainbow of colors. Several inches taller, owing to his spines standing on end, he faced a biotic for the first and last time as Hyper Sonic. 

The lizard flicked its tongue at him again, unperturbed. Then it whirled and whipped its long tail at him. It cracked like a whip and struck Sonic such a blow that he bounced sideways several feet, invincible though he was. He regained his balance, laughing a little, and sprang at the lizard. To his vague surprise, it jumped forward to meet him. Sonic leaped over it in a flash, then whirled and grabbed it by the neck to electrocute it. 

It was STRONG! The lizard writhed and twisted in his grasp, hissing, flailing its tail and ripping at Sonic's face with its claws. Then it fell limp in his arms as if shorted out, the red light in its eyes extinguished. 

"Wimp," Sonic muttered, letting the heavy machine clunk to the ground, his glow reflecting in its polished silver skin. "I could take on a whole battalion of you," he added as he turned to find Slasher and Tails. 

Wham! 

The blow knocked him flat on his face. An instant later he was back on his feet, facing the lizard, who was not dead. It was furious, as could be seen by its open jaws and lashing tail. Its tail seemed to have grown wider; Sonic glanced at it and saw that a long, thin blade had emerged from it on either side, making the whip tail into a long, flexible sword. Then it attacked. 

Sonic had never seen a robot move as fast as this one did. He was actually hard pressed to keep up with it and dodge the tail. He couldn't get near enough to inflict a mortal blow--the lizard had learned that much--and was wondering who had built it, when the unthinkable happened. 

The light dimmed from his spines, leaving them limp and blue. The emerald belt died and lay lifeless around his waist, the gems a cold, dark gray. 

Terror shot through the hedgehog's heart like a dart. He turned tail and ran from the raging biotic, knowing he was no match for it now, and wondering frantically what had happened to the emeralds. A clatter of metal claws on asphalt told him the biotic was pursuing. "Slasher, help!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. "Help!" It was a cry of desperate fear--if that lizard could run as fast as it could fight-- 

Something flashed past him, something that was not Slasher. Sonic spun in mid-stride to see Velocity the cheetah plough into the lizard. "Velocity!" Sonic cried, seeing a mental image of his chao lying bloody on the ground. But he spoke too soon. The biotic slumped to the pavement with Velocity's steel teeth in its neck. 

Sonic stood still, dumbfounded. Velocity had won a fight! He watched in growing pride as the blue cat used the hook-like blades on the sides of his head to open a panel in the biotic's chest. Velocity rammed in a paw and withdrew it dripping with oil. "There," Velocity announced, wiping off his paw, "it's dead. Just a bunch of metal parts bolted together, eh?" 

Slasher appeared as she rounded a corner at a flat run, Tails bent over her neck like a jockey. She saw what had happened at once and pulled herself up with a jolt, nearly pitching Tails off head first. "Sonic!" she exclaimed as Tails dismounted. "I couldn't get here fast enough, and Velocity took off--what happened?" She stared at the dead lizard as Sonic explained. 

"Did I miss it?" Pilot said, popping her violet head out of Tails' pack and looking around. 

Slasher's eyes narrowed again. "You BOTH brought your chao?" 

Sonic and Tails looked at each other and grinned guiltily. "Yeah," said Tails. "And it was a good thing, too!" 

To their surprise, Slasher smiled. "I know. I believe Velocity just showed us what a chao is capable of." She moved over to the robot and began to examine it. Tails did, too, and after a moment's hesitation, so did Sonic, Velocity padding at his side. 

Slasher walked around and around the lizard, sniffing, kicking it here and there, looking into it's mouth, and pumping a limp forearm up and down. Little Pilot and big Velocity walked around it, too, Velocity like a jungle cat proud of its kill. Tails wanted to know what Velocity had done when he bit the neck and stuck his paw in its chest. 

"Look Sonic," said the fox, beckoning to the hedgehog. "See these broken wires in the neck? These connect the computer in the head to the body. When Velocity bit them, the robot wouldn't move anymore. Then when he reached in here--" Tails motioned to the hole in the metal chest. "--he ruptured the main fuel line. That was the fastest way to take it out." 

Sonic looked down at his cheetah. "How'd you know to do that?" 

Velocity shrugged. "It was instinct. I just knew." 

"It sure is ugly-looking," said Pilot dubiously from a safe distance. She wasn't entirely sure it was dead. "Slasher, have you ever seen a robot like it?" 

Slasher surveyed the heap of aluminum and folded her arms. "I've never seen a robot like it," she said quietly, "but I have seen cyborgs like it." 

Tails' and Sonic's attention was captured at once. "Where?" 

"Flicky Island," said the raptor, eyes resting on the fallen silver beast. "Remember Metal Sonic's experiments with robots that were not really robots? I thought we had wiped them out when we flooded the cavern. I guess I was wrong." 

"Or Mecha built more," said Sonic angrily, hands balling into fists. "Bet he still has the blueprints." 

"So," said Tails, looking from Slasher to Sonic, "the cyber raptor is working with Mecha?" 

"He may have built the cyber raptor," said Slasher. "He certainly has the technology." 

"And now he's using them to wipe out cities like this," Velocity broke in. Those camp-fire stories of Metal Sonic were fresh in his mind, as was apparent by his wide green eyes under his steel helmet. 

Slasher nodded soberly. "Yes. I think we'd better get in the air again; there may be more of these concealed around here." 

Velocity dwindled to a dark blue chao and climbed into Sonic's backpack. Pilot, however, looked pleadingly at Slasher. "Can I fly alongside? I've wanted to fly with you for ages!" 

The raptor gave her an appraising glance. "You may for a while, but I want you back in Tails' pack before we reach Paravi." 

"Where's that?" Tails asked as he and Sonic scrambled up on Slasher's back. 

"Another fallen city," said Slasher airily, glancing into the sky. "All set?" Sonic and Tails gave her a thumbs-up, and Pilot fluttered her little wings. "Then off we go!" said the big raptor, and bounded skyward.


	6. Chapter 6

Meanwhile, things were peaceful in Knothole. Talon was alone with the chao down by the river. The chao had been underfoot ever since the sun had come out, and as all the chao owners were having a meeting to discuss Slasher's findings (beamed to them by the scanner), Talon had been landed with babysitting. 

He didn't mind, although he would have liked to have seen the information on the robot lizard. He heaved a sigh. Things weren't much fun without Knuckles around, and Talon was homesick for the Floating Island. 

The anteater looked around at the chao, counting heads. Zinc and Chimera were tussling in the grass, Elleno was sunning herself on the sandy riverbank, Max was playing in the river and Chalcon was watching. They all missed Pilot and Velocity, and had gleefully informed their owners of the missing chao's whereabouts as soon as Slasher had departed. 

Zinc and Chimera flopped in the thin spring grass, silver and red, to pant and talk in low murmurs. They had hit it off immediately when the island chao had been reintroduced to their companions. 

Chalcon appeared and seated himself at Talon's side. "Hullo," he said, looking up at Talon. 

"Hi," Talon replied. "I thought you were going swimming." 

The little blue chao shook his head. "The water's too cold. I might get hypothermia." 

Talon smiled at the sound of 'hypothermia' from a little chao. "Max is okay. You ought to try it." 

"No thanks," said Chalcon with a sigh. "I wish Slasher had taken me along, too." 

"She wanted you to be safe," Talon replied, tapping the toes of his shoes together. "Like Knuckles left me here to keep me safe." 

"At least Knuckles doesn't think you're worthless," Chalcon muttered. 

"Slasher doesn't think you're worthless." 

"Then why'd she leave me behind? Pilot and Velocity got to go." 

"Well--" Talon hesitated. He didn't know how to explain that Sonic and Tails had disobeyed orders, and didn't think it wise to point out that Pilot and Velocity had large forms. 

"Anyway," said the little blue chao, leaning against the tree trunk, "I can't use my emerald." He held it up by the chain and let it dangle, glittering like a sapphire prism. 

"It's good for something," said Talon firmly. "All the emeralds do something, whether you know it or not." 

"What do you know about the emeralds?" asked the chao. 

"A little," replied the anteater. "And you've got a large form, too. It's just taking you longer to develop it." 

Chalcon's eyes half-closed in skepticism. "I'll believe it when I see it." He stood up and walked to a patch of warm sunlight. 

Max crawled out of the water, shook himself, and trotted up to Talon. "What was Chalcon doing?" he asked suspiciously, gazing narrowly at the blue chao. 

"He's lonesome without Slasher," Talon told him. "Why?" 

"No reason," said Max, seating himself where Chalcon had been. "But he's Slasher's chao, and I'm yours. He can stay with Slasher." 

Talon bit his lip to hold back a smile--Max was jealous! 

"Anyway," said Max, leaning back on his flippers, "I know what my large form is called. I'm a sea-dragon." 

"How do you know?" Talon asked in astonishment. 

"Chalcon told me. He read it in a book." 

"What else did he read?" 

"Well, he told me he read that if one chao takes all the chaos emeralds, they'll turn into a giant monster, like Perfect Chaos." Max looked up at his master, a small smile on his green- and-yellow face. "I'd like to be a giant monster. I'd show Chimera what for then." 

"Don't count on it," said Talon. "What else?" 

Max thought a moment. "There's another way for a chao to turn into a giant monster, but I don't understand that. You need another thing called a super emerald, just one." 

"Oh really?" Talon's eyes brightened. "Did Chalcon tell Slasher?" 

"No, he read it right after she left." 

Talon stroked Max thoughtfully. He had better relay that information to Knuckles at once; it could be very useful. 

Little did Talon know that Knuckles had known that little fact for a long time. At that moment the crimson echidna was standing aghast in Hidden Palace, staring at the seven super emeralds, which were now as grey and dark as lumps of coal. 

* * *

Slasher landed for the night in a grove of elm trees and set up camp. Sonic and Tails were tired from their adventure and cramped from so much riding. Pilot was exhausted from trying to keep up with Slasher, and was so cranky Tails fed her and put her in his pack to shut her up. Velocity was tired and very quiet; he fell asleep twice during dinner. Even Slasher was weary. 

All the same, they were up early the next morning and flying northwest, the sun on their far right. No one said much. Sonic was bracing himself to see another Silvaline, and Tails was wondering how many kinds of biotics there were. 

Around ten o' clock, Slasher flew over a hill and they found themselves looking down at Paravi. 

With a shock Sonic realized that Silvaline must have surrendered. Paravi had resisted and had been leveled. Every building had walls missing, what roads there were appeared between great craters, smoke rose from a thousand points, and the air reeked of sewer. Every tree in the entire city had been torn out by the roots and left to die on the pavement, and on every wall had been spraypainted a black claw-shape. 

Slasher circled for a long time, afraid to land. There could be mines, there could be soldiers, there could be hidden artillery. But those weren't the reasons she was afraid to land and Slasher knew it. She was simply afraid of this silent, devastated place. 

Tails sensed her fear and caught it immediately. He didn't want to go down there. "Let's go home," he murmured. 

Sonic was not afraid; at least, he convinced himself he wasn't. "C'mon Slash, hurry up and land! It can't be any worse than Robotropolis." 

"Oh yes it can," Slasher growled, but she banked sideways and descended anyway. "Get the scanner ready. We're not exploring a step until we know what's out there." 

The big raptor landed on a strip of asphalt and folded her wings. Velocity and Pilot poked their heads out for a look around as Sonic flipped the scanner on and examined it. After a moment of silence broken only by a bubbling of water somewhere in the distance, Sonic announced, "We're the only ones for three square miles, Slash." 

"Are you sure?" the big raptor asked, sniffing the air as if searching for something the scanner had missed. 

"Pretty sure," the hedgehog replied, fiddling with a dial. "There's some spots this thing can't see, like in that basement over there, but there's nothing otherwise." 

"It's the places you can't see that worry me," Slasher murmured through her teeth. "Everybody off. We'll see what we can see." 

Sonic and Tails dismounted. Pilot and Velocity hopped out of their backpacks and bit their emeralds to go to large form. Then together the five set off into the war-ravaged city. 

There were hundreds of casualties, left to rot in the rubble of the buildings. Some appeared to have been mauled by wild animals, but once in a while they came to an impromptu grave. "There are survivors, somewhere," said Slasher, sniffing at the ground near one. Velocity and Pilot sniffed, too, hopeful of helping her find something. 

"Maybe they got picked off by snipers," Tails offered, glancing over his shoulder at the deserted street. 

"No," said Velocity. "Whoever did this had time to recognize these people, dig a hole and bury them. They wouldn't do that if they were under fire." 

Sonic stared at Velocity, surprised at the intelligence of this reasoning. 

"I agree," said Slasher. "There are survivors somewhere." 

Pilot whirled and gave a shrill whinny. "Someone's coming!" She jumped in front of Tails and stamped her hooves. Velocity took a similar position to Sonic, and Slasher reared up and looked. After a moment of peering intently at something, she called, "Come on out, we're friendly. We mean you no harm." 

From beyond a wall of rubble Sonic and Tails could not see over came a hoarse shout: "You're not biotics? Do you swear allegiance to the Black Claw?" 

"No," Slasher replied. "We are Freedom Fighters from the Robotropolis area. We were backtracking refugees and looking for survivors." 

Slowly a head pulled into view; a creature with white fur. It looked them over, and apparently satisfied, climbed up on the wall of rubble and reached down to help someone else. Slasher moved forward to help, and Sonic had time to look the stranger over. He was a tall anteater with white fur and a black stripe down his forehead, probably part albino. He was wearing a stained green vest and ragged leather boots that looked as if they had seen rough country. His fur was stained dirty yellow and matted in clumps, as if he had been sleeping where he could. Then his companion came into view, and Sonic forgot the white anteater. 

It was a young cougar, scarcely older than Sonic himself. He had a dirty bandage wound around his head, and the fur on his chest was matted with dried blood. He had once been wearing jeans and a denim jacket, but they were so tattered there was little left of them. "Ooo, he's been shot," Tails murmured to Sonic. "Do you think he'll make it?" The fox looked up at the hedgehog, who had gone completely rigid, as if facing Metal Sonic. 

"Yeah," said Sonic through his teeth. "He makes it." 

Tails opened his mouth to question the present tense, but was interrupted by Slasher calling for him to bring his backpack. Pilot escorted the fox, watching the newcomers warily and tossing her head. 

"What's wrong?" Velocity whispered to Sonic. He, too, had sensed the hedgehog's tension. 

"That's somebody I met in the future!" Sonic hissed to the cat. "What's more, he tried to kill me, he tried to kill my family, he DID kill Knuckles--indirectly--he's evil!" 

"What's his name?" Velocity whispered. 

"Nash," Sonic whispered back. "Listen." 

Slasher was asking the cougar his name as she unwound his head bandage. "Fealor," the cougar panted. "Fealor Nash." 

"Tell Slasher!" Velocity hissed, but there was no need. Slasher's able claws had faltered a fraction when she heard the name, and she cast Sonic a quick glance with one eye. "She knows," Sonic whispered. 

Nash had caused Slasher nearly as much future heartache as he had Sonic, and it was no wonder she faltered a little. But just as the past is the key to the present, she reminded herself, the present is the key to the future. She could be altering the future by caring for the cougar's wounds. 

"I'm Kit," the white anteater was saying. "Kit Polygon. They shot Fealor in the second raid and I only barely saved him. Will he be all right?" 

"I believe so," Slasher replied. "This head wound is not bad, but the chest wound is deep. He'll need to rest someplace safe." She threw Sonic another glance. The hedgehog nodded resignedly, and the raptor continued, "I'll take him back to our village. Would you like to come?" 

"Of course!" said Kit, brightening. "I haven't had a square meal in weeks." 

And so the party set off southward, Kit and Fealor on Slasher, Tails riding Pilot, and Sonic and Velocity keeping pace on the ground. 

* * *

Talon was awakened early the next morning by a low hubbub from the street outside. He crawled out of bed and looked out the window, rubbing his eyes sleepily. Max, curled up in the blankets, gave a sigh and didn't stir. 

Talon blinked and focused his eyes. There was a huddle of people out there in the pre-dawn darkness, and he couldn't quite make them out. "Maybe Sonic and Tails are back," he thought hopefully. Knothole was boring without Sonic, and Tails had promised to show Talon his biplane when they returned. Yes, there was Tails, sitting on Pilot the Pegasus's back, and Sonic, walking away from the group, talking animatedly to Velocity the cheetah. Slasher was over there, and she had somebody in her arms. Maybe they had found some more refugees. There was another figure standing near Slasher, bending over the person in her arms. Talon blinked. It had turned and was walking toward his hut. 

Talon had no reason to feel afraid, no reason to duck, so he didn't. He sat at the window, gazing out at the approaching figure. He had white fur, the anteater noted. Kind of like ... 

Then the newcomer was outside the window, a crooked smile on his face. Talon leaped back and stumbled against his bed, jarring Max awake. The green chao sat up, saw the look of dumbfounded terror on his master's face, then saw the face at the window. He and Talon sat absolutely still, returning Kit's stare. 

Kit's blue eyes held Talon's brown ones for a long moment, then flicked down to Talon's feet. He wasn't wearing his blue boots. Kit's eyes began a slow circuit of the room, searching for them. Talon watched him warily; his boots were tucked safely under his bed, out of sight. If Kit came in, he would have Max rip his legs off. 

But Kit turned abruptly and walked away, as if tired of their little stare-down. Talon scowled after him, his fear crystallizing into anger. Kit had no right to come here, not after all the things he had done-- 

"Who was that?" Max asked. 

Talon turned and picked him up. "Somebody bad," he said in the chao's ear. "You remember Kardot? He's her brother." 

"But I thought she was an android!" 

"She is. Kit's dad built her, and they grew up together. Kit wants my shoes as bad as Kardot does. Listen, I'm going to lock the door. If anybody tries to get in, attack 'em, okay?" 

"Okay." 

* * *

Zephyer was combing her hair in front of her mirror and humming to Zinc when someone knocked at the door. "Come in," she called. Sonic entered with Velocity the chao under one arm. He tossed the chao to the floor. Velocity landed on his feet, and immediately bounced over to investigate Zinc's breakfast. 

"Hi Sonic," said the echidna. "You're back early." 

The hedgehog seated himself in one of the two chairs and ran a hand through his spines. "Zeff, I got some bad news and thought you should hear it from me." 

Zephyer tensed, her brush frozen in midair. "Something happen to Slasher?" 

"No, but it's almost as bad. Do you remember Nash?" 

The look of horror and loathing on Zephyer's face was answer enough. 

Sonic nodded--his feelings exactly. "Guess who we found in a war zone as a survivor." 

"You're kidding. I thought he was dead!" 

"This is his present self, Zeff. Didn't you wonder if we'd ever see him in our time? He wasn't much older than my future self was. He's here now!" 

Zephyer gazed at Sonic, ran the brush through her hair absentmindedly, then said, "Could we poison him or something?" 

"Can you imagine explaining that to Slasher?" Sonic asked wearily, although he had been thinking along the same lines. "Not to mention having a murder on your conscience." 

"Why not just make friends?" said Zinc from his seat on the floor. They looked at the silver chao. Zinc looked up at them. "You're talking about future stuff, right?" he said. "Well then, change the future. Make friends with him so he won't want to kill you. It makes more sense than trying to kill him." 

Sonic looked at Zinc with pain in his eyes. "You didn't see what he did to Jason," the hedgehog muttered. 

Zephyer looked at him, startled. It was the first time Sonic had mentioned his future son's name since arriving in the present after his exile. 

"But that doesn't make sense," said Velocity. "The guy's innocent right now. You want to take revenge for something he hasn't done yet? If you ask me, that's enough reason to do all the stuff he did in the future." 

"You're no help," said Sonic, rising and tucking Velocity under his arm again. "I gotta go get some shut-eye, Zeff. See if you can think of something." 

The hedgehog departed. Zephyer finished brushing her hair, parted it into dreadlocks and picked up Zinc. "You're right, you know," she told him. "It would make a lot more sense to befriend Nash than try to kill him off. Sonic has a real grudge against him. Now, let's go get Talon up. Knux calls in at eight." 

Reaching Talon was difficult, however. Zephyer knocked, received no answer, tried the door knob, found it locked, and knocked again. "Talon, it's Zephyer. Are you in there?" 

"C'mon Max," Zinc piped up, "I know you're in there, I can hear you. Let us in!" 

In response the door unlocked, and Max in large form glared out at them. "Talon said not to let anybody in, and if you try to come in, I'll bite you." 

Zinc bristled and bit his emerald at once. "Oh yeah?" the silver robot growled, looking Max in the eye. "You and what army?" 

"Cool it, you two," said Zephyer, stepping between the chao, who eyed each other distrustfully over her head. "Max, what's wrong with Talon? 

"Nothing," Max replied. "He told me to play guard dog and I am." 

"Talon," Zephyer called through the open door, "it's just me, Zephyer. I came to tell you to get up because Knuckles calls in today at eight o' clock. That's all." 

Talon appeared in the doorway behind Max. His fur had a tousled look, and his pupils were dilated as if he were afraid of something. "Can you ask him to come here?" the anteater asked her. "I can't leave. Kit's here. Tell Knuckles that." 

"Who's Kit?" 

"Knuckles will know. Just tell him. Come on, Max." Talon vanished inside, and the door closed behind him. 

Zephyer glanced at Zinc, shrugged and walked toward the community hut, where the radio set was located. 

* * *

Nash was resting comfortably in one of the medical hut's beds, his wounds clean and freshly bandaged. Kit was sitting on the edge of his bed, talking in a low voice. "We owe it to them, after all, for pulling us out of Paravi." 

"But Kit," said the young cougar, "I don't have that kind of money. I don't have ANY money now that Paravi's down. I barely have my hide intact." He raised a large paw to the white bandage on his chest. 

"But that's the idea!" said Kit, blue eyes alight. "We don't have any way of repaying the Freedom Fighters for their kindness. Look, Fealor," he said, as Nash opened his mouth, "I know where I could get the money, okay?" 

"Where?" asked Nash, frowning doubtfully. "It's not underhanded like your other schemes, is it?" 

"Heck no," said Kit, waving a hand. "I've got some property in storage I can sell. It should be just enough to cover his fee." 

"You have one picked already?" 

"Of course. I wanted Nack, but he's treasure-hunting in South Mobius somewhere. His secretary pointed me to O'Heathe. Bounty hunters are easy to find if you know where to look." 

Nash shook his head. "I don't know, Kit. He might wind up getting killed." 

"I know, and he knows, so his fee is extra high. Wouldn't the Freedom Fighters be grateful if their enemy up and vanished?" 

"I don't know. It doesn't seem do-able. We could wind up in deep trouble." 

"That's the thrill, isn't it?" Kit rose to his feet. "You take it easy. I'll take care of everything." 

Nash watched narrowly as the anteater left. "You're going to get somebody killed, Kit," he muttered. 

* * *

Knuckles had not planned on visiting Knothole that day. He had spotted something flying over the northern part of his island at dawn. It had looked suspiciously like one of Robotnik's old spy cameras. He had glided out to investigate, but the object flew away before he could get close. Wondering about spies, he decided to round up the Chaotix and do an island patrol, but the radio call from Knothole changed his plans. 

The echidna strode into the village from the little clearing with the teleporter, his stride purposeful, eyes taking in everything. People went about their daily business, two chao played in the sun near a hut. There was no sign of Kit. 

Knuckles rapped on Talon's door. "Tal, are you all right?" 

The door opened at once, and he stepped inside. It was dark; Talon had closed all the curtains, and Max in large form was draped across Talon's bed, looking at him balefully. Talon closed and locked the door, then leaned against it, breathing heavily. "Knuckles sir," he panted, "I'm so glad you've come. Kit is here--they rescued him and brought him back here, and he hasn't forgotten my shoes." This was spoken in a rush, as if Talon's fear were gushing into words. 

"Hold it," said Knuckles, lifting a hand. "How do you know? Did you talk to him?" 

Talon pantomimed how Kit had come to the window and looked around. Knuckles wondered, but did not say, that perhaps Kit were not looking so much for the emerald boots as the presence of a chao. It troubled him more than he let on. "Tal," he said, "why don't you come back to the island again? It's starting to warm up now, and it looks like nowhere is safe anymore." 

A grin broke across Talon's face like the sun peeking from behind a cloud. "That's what I've been hoping you'd say, sir!" 

"Quit it with the 'sir'. Get your stuff. Max, you can't go like that." 

"I know," said Max, and spat out his emerald. He shrank immediately to chao-size again, still lying on his belly on the blankets. 

"I'll find Chimera," said the echidna, and walked out. 

Talon might be safer on the Floating Island, but what of that thing he had seen that morning? Did the biotic army scope out a city in such a way before an invasion? There was the armor, of course, but with the super emeralds dead it was probably useless. And what about the super emeralds? He had feared such a thing happening ever since he had transferred their energy to the chaos emeralds. He could transfer it back, he supposed, but that would drain the chaos emeralds again, and the chao would be defenseless. There was always the option of giving one of the chao all seven emeralds, but which one? It would not be wise. Not yet. 

Sonic appeared out of nowhere and interrupted Knuckles's thoughts. "Knux! Just the echidna I wanted to see!" He seized his friend's arm and dragged him into the gap between two huts. The hedgehog fumbled at his waist, unbuckled a belt that appeared suddenly in his hands, and held it up for Knuckles to see. Knuckles saw that the once multi-colored gems were now cold and grey, like ordinary diamonds. "What happened to them?" the hedgehog asked with the tone of someone worried about a dear pet. "Did I damage them?" 

Knuckles had to swallow before he could answer. "No. I did." 

"How?" 

"The emergency power transfer I did in Sapphire City. You're ... not supposed to do that." 

Sonic lowered the belt and scowled. "It's Chaos's fault, not yours. He took their power first. You just did what you could to charge me up so I could fight him." 

Knuckles nodded. "I know, I know. But ... you're not supposed to do that. I don't know how to recharge them." 

"I do," said Sonic, lowering his voice and leaning forward. "Touch one. It'll suck some of the life out of you." 

"It's not that simple anymore," said Knuckles, shaking his dreadlocked head. "I've tried. I've tried all sorts of weird things my ancestors did, and nothing works. I'm afraid they're out for good." 

Sonic looked at the belt in his hand as if it were a broken toy. "Just when it would have come in most useful, too," he muttered. 

"The chao will have to fight for you now," said Knuckles. 

At that moment Chimera in large form bounded up to them like a big red lizard, yellow eyes alight. "Knuckles!" he said in a growl that anyone else would have thought was murderous. Even Sonic stepped back. Knuckles fearlessly held out his arms and the little dragon bounded into them like a pet dog, and nipped at the echidna's dreadlocks affectionately. "Guess what," said Knuckles. 

"Make me," said Chimera. 

"You're going back to the Floating Island with me." 

Chimera threw back his head and whooped so loudly that passersby turned and stared. His breath, kindled by excitement, ignited a patch of dry grass nearby, and Sonic leaped forward to stamp it out. The hedgehog and echidna exchanged a grin which Chimera missed, as he was shrinking back into small form. 

Sonic followed Knuckles and Talon to the teleporter stand in the woods, looking dismal. "I'll miss you guys," he told them. "Take care and stay away from evil raptors, okay?" 

"Sure, Sonic," said Knuckles, and Talon said, "Yes sir!" they waved goodbye and teleported away in a flash of light, leaving Sonic with the limp emerald belt in one hand. He would never have guessed how and where he and Knuckles would next meet.


	7. Chapter 7

That afternoon, while Tails was manning the radar 'tower' in Eagle's Nest, he was startled to see a great mass moving down the valley toward Robotropolis. He put a call through to Knothole at once, and Slasher was dispatched to investigate. She returned in a wild panic half an hour later, which was so out of her character that everyone was alarmed. She burst into the community hut, eyes like green flame and her usually neat wings mussed from frenzied flight. The core Freedom Fighters, Sally, Sonic, Bunnie Rabbot and Rotor, jumped to their feet. "What's wrong?" they exclaimed. 

"A biotic army," Slasher replied, rushing to their table and grabbing a map. "There are at least five thousand of them!" She snatched up a pen and began to scribble. "They're moving due south. The main body is here, but there's a branch off to the west, also moving south." The Freedom Fighters were grouped around by this time, watching her pen in silence. "Most of them are foot soldiers," Slasher continued, her panic just below the surface, "but in the rear there are three mobile artillery vehicles, four things I think were tanks, and two bipedal mechs." The velociraptor looked at the group, and four pairs of frightened eyes stared back. 

"I couldn't fight that many even as Hyper!" Sonic exclaimed. 

"Where are they headed?" Sally asked, tilting her head and studying the map. "Robotropolis? There's nothing to invade!" She traced a line along the army's course down the map, and came to a stop at Riverbase. 

"Honey, if they take Riverbase, we're doomed," said Bunnie. 

"That's the tactical key to this whole area!" added Rotor. "But Robotnik couldn't take it." 

"Maybe Riverbase'll win, Slash," Sonic said hopefully. Slasher and Sally looked at him without a word. "Maybe not," Sonic muttered, looking down. 

"What do we do?" said Bunnie. 

"We warn Riverbase," said Sally. "Sonic, take Velocity. You can beat the army there, I think. Slasher, any plan for our end?" 

The raptor clenched her fists. "If only we had an electro- magnetic pulse cannon," she growled, staring at the map. 

"Yeah," said Rotor, looking dreamy in spite of himself. 

Slasher drew a breath, let it out and said, "We'll have to make do with what we have." She looked at Sonic, who was listening. "Why are you still here? Get Velocity and go! Now!" 

"Oh, right!" Sonic spun on his heel and dashed from the hut. 

"An army of biotics!" he thought as he ran for his hut, where he had left Velocity and Elleno playing checkers. "An army, and I couldn't beat just one!" He flung the door open and said, "Velocity, go to large form and come on. Now." Startled, the chao did as he was told. 

"What's wrong?" asked Elleno as they left. 

"Ask Serena!" Sonic called as he broke into a run. 

Riverbase was fifty miles south of Knothole, and built across the river so as to control all traffic up and down it. Robotnik had tried to take it again and again during his reign in Robotropolis, but never succeeded. Riverbase was a refugee city and populated by fierce fighters, but they stood little chance against a biotic sneak attack. 

Sonic explained all this to Velocity as they sped along an old highway nearly obliterated by the woods and time. "Sonic," said Velocity as they broke out of the forest and took to the grassland beyond, "I can kill a biotic in single combat, but not an army. I showed Elleno how to kill one, Zinc already knows, and I don't know about the rest. If someone told them I'm sure they could help fight." 

"Thanks, but you're a little late," said Sonic. "Once we're in Riverbase we're stuck there." 

"I know," said Velocity. The two did not speak again until Riverbase had come into sight. 

Alerting the mayor of Riverbase did not take long--he welcomed the local Freedom Fighters with open arms--but mobilizing the military force took time. By the time the city was half-ready, the main force of the biotic army was visible a mile away. 

Sonic and Velocity watched as a troop of Mobians with robotized limbs laid out hundreds of feet of electrical cable around the city's gates until the ground appeared under a web of them. Velocity caught on at once. "When the bots walk over that, we'll electrify those cables, and zap, bug-shocker effect." 

"I still don't know how you know that," said Sonic. 

"I like strategy and stuff," said the cheetah. "Oh, speaking of strategy, didn't you say the army was in two groups?" 

Sonic blanched. "I forgot about that! Do you think they'll--" 

He was cut off by a whistling in the air to their left, and a chunk of earth near the city wall exploded under a mortar. 

"Let's get inside," said Sonic. 

"Why don't we go ambush the ambush?" asked Velocity with a wicked glint in his eyes. 

"Now yer talkin'!" Sonic grinned, and the two raced away west. 

The two shot across the river at several hundred miles an hour and into the woods on the far side. Once or twice Sonic slowed down and asked Velocity if they should look around for the army, but Velocity said no, they hadn't gone far enough yet. Behind them came the confused sounds of battle; shelling, the bursting of artillery, the rattle of machine guns, pops, yells, screams, and an indescribable sound from the biotics. Once there came a tremendous shout of pain from them, and the hedgehog and chao knew that the cable web had been activated. "Score one for Riverbase," said Velocity, grinning. 

Then, without warning, they blundered into the other branch of the biotic army. 

The woods were filled with silver beasts, crouched or curled or sitting, all with red eyes fixed in the direction of the battle. Velocity and Sonic skidded to a halt on the moist ground, gasping. This wasn't what they had expected! This squadron was probably going to attack once their brethren had breached the city walls. They were perfectly silent. Slowly every silver head turned to look at the intruders, every red eye glimmered with malice. Then claws opened, wings flexed, and half a dozen creatures moved toward them with startling grace and speed. "Run Velos!" Sonic exclaimed. He turned and ran a few steps, then looked back. Velocity was not following; he had sprang upon a cat-like creature, probably a lion, and was trying to reach its throat. "Go!" he yelled at Sonic. 

Sonic reversed directions, the blood pounding in his ears, and darted back. "Velocity, no! Come on! Run!" The biotics were all about them now. Velocity had felled the lion, but a dozen more were advancing. 

"Sonic, you idiot!" he screeched. "I gave you a chance!" Then the robots were upon them both. 

Sonic saw a hulking gorilla creature touch two claws to the base of Velocity's skull. The cheetah shrieked and collapsed in a heap. "You jerk!" Sonic snarled, and spindashed at the gorilla. He nearly made it, but fifty pairs of cold, yet pliable hands closed on his arms and legs. Sonic's last glimpse of Velocity was of another silver creature bending over his fallen blue form, then the crush of silver bodies hid him from view. "They're armed," he thought subconsciously. He felt the touch of two cold fingers at the base of his skull for a split second, then the world disappeared in a frantic flash of color and heat. It was the last thing he saw for a long time. 

* * *

Elleno's bowstring was singing almost constantly, and every arrow found its place in a biotic eye. Her booster pack was smoking and useless, for she had accidently stepped on an electrified cable and nearly killed herself. She still felt ill, but there was no time for that in a battle. Serena was standing at her back, shooting and shooting with a blaster rifle. When its cell was empty, she would set it on recharge and shift to her fusion cutter. When that was empty, she set it on recharge and shifted back to her rifle. The hedgehog had a discouraging time of it, for energy weapons weren't much use against the biotics. Elleno was accomplishing more by taking out their eyes. 

Pilot and Tails were doing what they could, but Pilot wasn't much of a fighter. She made up for this by racing Tails in to the artillery vehicles, dropping him off, then playing target while the fox did what he could to sabotage them. His expertise with mechanical things served him well, as a mech, two tanks and an artillery unit had fallen to his tally. This was a boon for the Riverbase defense, who couldn't combat the machines on foot. 

Zephyer and Zinc made a particularly violent team. The blades on Zinc's head were excellent for ripping apart a biotic, and his silver color made him look exactly like one of them. No biotic suspected him until it was too late. Zephyer's sword in her right arm worked the same way, and her metal body protected her from ripping claws and teeth. The two had left a trail of motionless biotics across the battlefield. 

But in spite of their noble efforts, the biotics prevailed. They were inside Riverbase, and fighting had become hand-to-hand in the streets. The biotics had the advantage, for they did not tire, could heal any wound but one to the throat, and were immensely strong. The Mobians were driven back. 

Then, after six hours of non-stop battle, a new cry went up. The other arm of the biotic army had swept in from the rear. 

Riverbase fell with heartbreaking swiftness. The surviving Mobians fled or surrendered. The Freedom Fighters grabbed their chao and pulled out. Fighting turned to rout. 

The sun set that evening in a haze of smoke that hung over the battlefield, washing everything in blood-red light. 

Knothole was very subdued that night, for the loss of Riverbase was a heavy blow. Many of the warriors who had fought so bravely were wounded, and many more were missing. 

It was not until the next morning that it was discovered that Sonic and Velocity were among the latter. 

* * *

"Kit! Where are you, Kit?" Fealor Nash bellowed in fury. He strode through Knothole, eyes burning, fur bristling, looking every inch the Nash Sonic and Zephyer had known. Behind him pattered Zinc and Elleno in small form, quiet and wide-eyed. They had never seen anyone so angry before and wanted to see what he did to Kit. Elleno was still a little weak from her shock the day before, but was bouncing back rapidly. 

Nash barreled through the quiet village, oblivious to the wounded newcomers in casts and bandages that glared at him everywhere he went. All he needed to complete his fierce appearance was a flowing cape. 

Kit was located in the community hut, sitting quietly in a corner. Nash pounced on him at once and roared in his face, "You did this! You sold Riverbase to the Black Claw! 

Zinc and Elleno listened in disbelief as Kit told Nash (very quietly) that he had indeed sold some property of his in Riverbase to the biotics to pay for a bounty hunter. This 'property' turned out to be tactical information on the city's weaknesses. 

The chao watched with cruel amusement as Nash told Kit to get out of Knothole, and described all the colorful things he would do if Kit ever came back. The only thing that kept the cougar from killing Kit with his bare hands at that moment was the pain from his chest wound. Kit left at a run. 

Nash went straight to Sally to tell her what Kit had done, and the chao walked back to their owners' huts. "Just think," said Zinc, his black eyes even blacker in anger, "that whole coup yesterday--all our fighting--was because of Kit." 

"Why did they hire a bounty hunter, I wonder?" Elleno said thoughtfully. "Isn't that someone who gets paid to hunt down and kill a person?" 

"Yeah, I think so," said Zinc. "For want of a bounty hunter a city is lost. I hope I meet Kit in a dark alley someday." Discovering he was good at combat had went to the chao's head. 

The two passed by Sonic's hut, dark and empty. 

"I hope they find him," Elleno muttered. 

"Me too," said Zinc. "I hope they didn't get killed." 

"Don't say that!" exclaimed the violet chao with a Serena-esque glare. "Velocity wouldn't have let it happen." 

"A lot of things can happen in a battle," said Zinc quietly. "You can't look out for your master every second." 

"Pilot and Tails will find them," said Elleno. "I hope." 

* * *

Pilot and Tails were winging their way over one end of the battlefield, and Slasher and Chalcon were investigating the other end. Chalcon had surprised himself by being a good rider, and was lending his eyes to Slasher's to look for the missing hedgehog and chao. 

Pilot and Tails were feeling very grim. The trampled grass below was littered with fallen biotics, smoking wreckage and the occasional fallen Mobian. "All the stuff we went through," Tails muttered, watching the ground below without seeing it, "and he loses the first battle. I just can't believe it." It's like all our other adventures were a lie, he thought. We get involved in a war and boom, he's down. It's not like the Sonic I know. 

"Velocity, too," said Pilot. "He knew how to fell a biotic. He was the first one to do it. And he's gone, too. Wouldn't at least one of them have escaped?" 

"Maybe they got hit by a mortar," said Tails morbidly. They wheeled to look at something blue on the ground, but it was only a shell casing. 

Investigation of Riverbase was impossible, as it was occupied by hundreds of red-eyed monsters that fired lasers at anyone who approached. "Maybe he's in there," said Chalcon to Slasher. "Maybe they took him prisoner." 

"Could be," said Slasher gravely, winging away from the city walls. "But I sincerely hope not. I doubt they mean anything but harm to a prisoner." 

There was no sign of Sonic or his chao, and hope was nearly lost but for a survivor recovered from the battlefield. 

He was a grizzled old fox with grey in his orange fur, and both legs were robotized. He appeared dead, but when the burial crew picked him up, they realized he was merely unconscious. He was rushed to Knothole at once. 

Some of the other soldiers recognized him when he was brought in, and told the medical team his name was John Johnston. It was determined he had been struck with some sort of stunner and was in a mentally suspended state. After some tinkering in his workshop, Rotor came up with a stunner that would reverse the process. They tried it and the fox snapped awake at once. 

"Cragclaw!" he gasped, looking at the nurses' faces around him. "What happened? Where am I?" 

It was quickly explained to him that he was in Knothole, and that Riverbase had been taken by the enemy. "Cragclaw!" Johnston exclaimed again. "I heard things when they shocked me. Like I was part of their network. They were talking about the latest orders from Cragclaw. I tried to remember it--Cragclaw--it sounded important. I was to be taken there as a prisoner, but--" He looked around at the medical hut. "--I guess they dropped me." 

Hope was renewed. If they could locate this 'Cragclaw', perhaps Sonic could be rescued, if he were a prisoner. He had not been found among the dead, and people had said they had seen him and his cat run off before the battle began. 

Sally, recovering from near-despair, connected Nicole, her handheld computer, to a satellite uplink that connected her to computers all over the world (a recent gift from Sapphire City). She ran a search on 'Cragclaw'. A thousand matches were returned, none of which appeared to be the hidden base of the biotic army. "I don't even know the name of their leader," said Sally in disgust, looking at the CragClaws on Nicole's screen. 

"Would they have a leader?" Zephyer asked from her post near the door. "Maybe they're attacking on their own initiative." 

"No," said Serena. She had been looking over Sally's shoulder. "They have a leader. Didn't you see the way they were attacking? It was like they had either rehearsed it in advance, or somebody was giving them orders." 

"I saw that," said Tails. "It was weird. They didn't act like SWAT-bots, even." 

"They have to have a leader," Sally said, "or at least a mastermind. That's my point. Nicole, search for the records of the Silvaline battle." 

"Searching, Sally," said the computer in a bland female voice. 

At this point there came a knock on the door. Zephyer, who was nearest, opened it to admit Spike. The purple porcupine was holding Zinc in his arms. "He was lost," he told the echidna, placing the chao in her arms. 

"I told you not to leave the village!" Zephyer scolded her chao. 

"I know," Zinc whimpered, "but Elleno dared me." 

Spike looked inside the hut and spotted Nicole. "Got any leads on Sonic?" he asked eagerly. 

"No," said Sally, pushing her auburn hair out of her eyes. "Just the word 'cragclaw'." 

Spike's face took on an odd, distant expression. "Hmm. Interesting. I think I'll be going now." He stepped out and closed the door. 

"Be nice if he knew something," said Serena wistfully to Tails. 

"I know," said the fox. 

There was a brief pause. Sally sighed. "No records of the Silvaline battle. It's like it never happened. Somebody must have erased the records." 

"The dirty ratfinks," said Tails with a scowl at Nicole. 

"What's a ratfink?" Zinc asked with interest. 

Tails searched for words. "You know, a kind of a ... a ... you know, a sneaky person, like a rat." 

"Oh," said Zinc with innocent solemnness. 

There came another knock on the door. Zephyer opened it again to admit Spike's father, who looked like an older version of his son, but with slightly calmer spines. He had once been a Robian, but was now derobotized and living with his wife and son in the village. "Hello," he said in general to the group, then aimed a slight bow in Sally's direction. 

"Hello, Mr. Quill," said Sally, rising from the table and facing him. 

"Hello, princess," said Mr. Quill, looking bashful. "Doug told me you were looking for information on Cragclaw." 

Serena, Tails, Zephyer and Sally exchanged a glance. "Yes," said Sally. Her voice was perfectly calm, but one hand gripped the back of her chair with white-knuckled intensity. 

"Well," said Mr. Quill, "to put it simply, Cragclaw was what we Robians called our fortress in the mountains. A codeword, if you know what I mean. I don't know how much that helps matters." 

Sally gazed at him in silence for several seconds. Her face was expressionless, but they knew the wheels in her head were spinning. Abruptly she whirled around and sat down before Nicole again. "Thank you, Mr. Quill," she said without looking up. "You may have just saved Sonic's life." 

"Anything I can do to help, princess," said the porcupine, and left. 

"Well?" Tails demanded for all of them. 

The squirrel didn't reply for a long moment. Then she leaned back in her chair and said, "My father had that fortress built during the Great War. I was very small, but I remember the hubbub it raised. It was a backup in case he ever lost Mobitropolis." She trailed off, and no one said a word. They all knew how Robotnik had taken the city from the inside and placed King Acorn forever out of reach in the Void. If the memory pained Sally, she hid it well. "The fortress has been empty for years, except when the Robians occupied it," she concluded. 

"And when they all came here," said Zephyer, clenching a silver fist, "it was up for the taking." 

"Search complete, Sally," said Nicole, and text blazed across the little screen. 

"Come here, everyone," said the squirrel, and everyone crowded around. There was a little silence. Then Serena said, "We have to storm THAT?" 

With the text came diagrams and models of the mountain stronghold. It was two tall pillars, one slightly shorter than the other, protruding sharply from an out-flung arm of the mountain. This rose from the floor of a valley, making attack from the ground a foolhardy action. "Look how far underground it goes," Tails commented. "Why, you could fit THOUSANDS of people in there!" 

There was another pause as hopes flagged. "If that's Cragclaw," said Zephyer, and stopped. There was no need to voice the thought; Sonic and Velocity were goners. 

Zinc broke the silence with an unexpected announcement. "Elleno has the wrong emerald." 

Everyone looked at the chao, startled. "Why do you say that?" asked Serena indignantly. Figuring out her brother couldn't be rescued was bad enough without more bad news. 

Zinc looked at her frankly. "Because she can do things. She turned invisible. I saw her." 

For a moment the violet hedgehog appeared as if someone had hit her across the head. Then she said, "But that's a good thing!" 

"I never said it was bad," said Zinc. "I just said she has the wrong emerald. She's got a color that isn't suited to her abilities, and she can do things the rest of us can't." 

Sally rose slowly from her chair. They looked at her and saw she had a glowing expression on her face. "Oh ... my ... gosh," she said, lifting a hand to her hair automatically. "Invisible ... Tails, run and find Slasher, quick. I may just have an idea for taking Cragclaw."


	8. Chapter 8

"And over here," said the red robot, "we have the biologic containment cells for building new cyborgs." 

The android flipped her dark hair out of her eyes and peered in the direction of the headlight. She could make out a vague orange glow along the walls, but the complicated chambers, tubes, pipes and wires were lost in the darkness. "You'd think he'd at least install lights," she said sulkily. 

"Yeah, I guess it's dark, isn't it?" said Robo Knux, and laughed a little. It was not his usual wicked cackle; it was more human, almost friendly. "Oh, and down here," he continued eagerly, guiding his companion down the black corridor, "we have the repairs facility for units damaged in battle--" Her attention had wandered. "And through here is the prisoner conditioning unit. Sonic Hedgehog is in there," he added with obvious pride. 

"How droll," said Kardot, squinting in the direction his headlight was pointed. "You probably think capturing him is a real achievement, don't you?" 

"Why, yes," said Robo Knux, rather taken aback by her attitude. "For me, a great achievement. Although," he hastened to add, "I could have destroyed him at any time prior to his capture." 

"Right," said Kardot sarcastically. "Show him to me." 

The robot led her into a long room lit only by a red light from the pods in neat rows. These were lined along the walls and in a center column in the middle of the room. The red light was quite bright, and against it Robo Knux's green digital eyes stood out like a beacon. He took Kardot's arm graciously and led her toward one of the pods in the center row. "There he is," the robot said proudly, and Kardot moved closer for a better look. 

The pod was egg-shaped with the point at the bottom. Set in the top was a glass dome, obviously for viewing, and a black tube emerged from the top. Looking inside, Kardot saw Sonic, lying silently on his back. In the red glare from the lights of his chamber, his blue quills looked black. The tube in the glass was connected to an oxygen mask strapped to his face, and plastic sensors, like bottlecaps, were stuck all over his head and chest. 

"What's happening to him?" asked Kardot, tapping the glass. 

"Please don't do that," said Robo Knux. "His mind is being conditioned for total allegiance to the Black Claw. When the conditioning is complete, he will be moved to the biologic containment cells, and there he will be turned into a cyborg." 

"Does it hurt much?" Kardot asked, examining the equipment beside the pod. 

"Oh no," said Robo Knux emphatically, watching her to make sure she didn't harm anything. "Pain means nothing to a cyborg. Besides, he will not be conscious. Leastwise, not what organisms consider 'conscious'." 

"I want him when he's done," said Kardot, peering into the pod again. "I used him to gain access to the Floating Island before. He could help me do it again. 

"But I already offered you my services!" said Robo Knux, offended. "I have thoroughly explored the island." 

Kardot looked at him for a second, her eyes like rubies in the light. "You," she said simply, "are a Mecha bot." She turned and strode out, kicking a pod on her way. Robo Knux hurried after her. "Kardot, please don't feel like that--I am exceptionally capable--" 

The voices of the creatures faded away into the depths of the dark fortress. A whimpering sound, like a dog in pain, came from the pod Kardot had kicked for several minutes. Gradually it faded into silence, and there was no sound but the faintest electronic buzz from the pods. 

Sonic was totally unaware of the visit he had received. Being in a suspended mental state was like being detached from all his senses. He neither felt, nor heard, nor saw, nor tasted nor smelled. But there were things going on inside his brain nonetheless. 

He was not yet part of the biotic mind network, in that he could not communicate with them. But he could hear them, hundreds of voices chattering endlessly, like a dinner party heard from the next room. There were several voices directly concerned with him, and through them he knew that Velocity was somewhere nearby. 

When the chao whimpered in his sleep from the jar of Kardot's kick, Sonic was off on a wild ride of mental processing which he regularly underwent. He had no control over what happened or when he would stop; that was entirely up to the biotics in charge of him. But unbidden, there came to him across the network a frantic, hysterical sobbing. He knew it was Velocity without being conscious of the fact. The cries were stifled at once, but the biotics were plainly agitated. They were saying things like, "Outrageous," "Totally out of line," "The Master should deal with her," and "I will eat her someday." The mental processing ended without Sonic knowing it. Now he was listening to the voices helplessly. 

There came another voice, a much larger, clearer one. "What has happened?" At once the hubbub on the network fell silent. For the first time Sonic's head was empty of sound or impression. "Come now," said the Master Voice. "There was a disturbance in prisoner conditioning. Who was there?" 

A single voice rang out--a voice with blood in it, Sonic felt. Not a fake voice, like the rest. "My pod was kicked, sir!" 

Sonic wanted to call out to Velocity, but his conditioning had rendered him powerless to speak without being bidden. 

"Indeed?" said the Master Voice. It held a quiet sort of surprise. "Which of you was foolish enough to do that?" Absolute silence answered him, like outer space. "I see," said the Master Voice. "It must have been the two free-minds in the fortress. I will see to them. At ease, my children." The network noise resumed at once. 

Years later, that scene would appear in Sonic's nightmares. 

* * *

It was two days later. The skies were grey and overcast, the world drooping under a drizzle. "Yuck, it's wet," Chimera grumbled, shaking his dragon head and flinging off waterdrops. 

"Shh," said Knuckles, parting the brush and peering out. "You'll be warm soon enough. We might all wind up dead." 

"Knuckles!" Serena hissed. Elleno, standing beside her, had just gone as white as a sheet. 

All the chao and their owners had been gathered together, as they were the only ones who stood a chance against a biotic in combat. They had split up, however, and were in position in different spots around the valley's rim, gazing down through the gray mist at the two spires of their enemy's fortress. There was no movement. Either there were no guards, or what guards there were were out of view. 

"Don't worry, Elleno," said Slasher, resting a damp hand on the chao's armored shoulder. "You'll be in the least danger of all of us." As if on command, Elleno faded from sight like a mist, and Slasher's hand was resting on mid-air. 

"I just hope they can't see me anyway," came the chao's disembodied voice. "Or feel me." She faded into sight again, her white armor glistening and wet. "When do I go?" 

Slasher glanced into the dreary sky. "Tails hasn't signaled." She had a pair of sharp objects in her other hand. These she inserted into her mouth and locked them over her teeth. They looked something like plastic vampire fangs, but were made of steel and razor sharp. These were her weapons against the biotics, like Velocity's fangs, that could penetrate biometal armor. Rotor had spent the last two days fitting them. Chalcon, sitting between her wings, as usual, sighed wearily. It was hard not having a large form and seeing your mistress fight for you. 

Across the valley, behind the fortress, Talon had his hands full. Max had found a stream that flowed into the valley, and insisted upon frolicking in it, rain notwithstanding. "Max, you're gonna get us in trouble!" Talon called in a whisper, not daring to raise his voice. Max poked his head out of the water, smiled and ducked under again. Talon slapped the water with his palm, which was how he called his chao when Max was submerged. Max reappeared, slightly out of reach, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I'm getting ready to fight the biotics," he said cheerfully, and disappeared with a swirl of fins. 

"Max, you idiot!" Talon whispered, beginning to feel quite angry. "Sonic's life is at stake and you've got to play!" A flash from the sky caught his attention. "Max, the signal!" Max paid no attention, and Talon remained nearby, dancing with impatience. 

* * *

"If only I had the wrong emerald," Zinc muttered, clenching his fists. He was crouched next to Zephyer in a rocky area. Before them was a large slab of granite that sloped smoothly over the edge of the valley and formed a cliff forty feet high. 

"Hush," whispered Zephyer. "Elleno's going in." 

"If only I could go with her," Zinc breathed, his robotic eyes fixed on the fortress in the distance, like two claws protruding through the valley floor. "I'm not afraid of them--" 

"We go in as soon as Elleno breaks the lock, now hush and get down," said Zephyer. She pulled Zinc back into cover, as he had risen nearly erect as he spoke. 

* * *

Elleno, a pale, fearful chao in hedgehog form, picked her way down the hillside toward the fortress. Her mind was blank with apprehension, and between her head and her feet was nothing but a vast, whirling emptiness. "Get in, subdue the guards, open the outer door," she repeated to herself. That was all she had to do. 

The ground, rough with rocks and brush, smoothed out as she reached the valley floor. She was thankful she knew how to cloak herself, because her white armor, while pretty, was no camouflage. If only invisibility were easier! She had to keep her mind on it or her cloak would fade, or worse, refuse to work at all. If only she had had more time to practice. She had only learned how to do it three days before, and that bigmouth Zinc had to go and blab it to the others. No, don't think about Zinc--think about poor Velocity, in there somewhere, probably being tortured. He's as much your brother as Sonic is Serena's. 

The fortress loomed up ahead, a black, solid, forbidding shape in the mist. Far up the walls were windows like slitted eyes, staring down at her with a menacing look. Elleno couldn't imagine it looking otherwise. The shape of it was strange, too--not like ordinary castle turrets that were cyndrilical in shape with a pointed roof. These rose straight up to a point, like tall, thin pyramids. The shorter pyramid was joined to the taller one halfway down, like a double fang. Yes, they reminded her of black fangs. 

Now she was climbing the slope toward the fortress's base. The ground was bare of grass and slippery from the rain. Her feet slithered about in the mud, and in places she was forced to climb on all fours. How did the biotics do it? She could not help but feel she was climbing toward her execution; Knuckles had said they might all wind up dead. The bow slung at her hip was no use against a biotic, not really--oops, don't think about that, your invisibility was fading! 

At last Elleno was standing on a solid gravel walkway ten feet away from the fortress wall. At this distance she could see the walls were built of huge chunks of stone, like a massive jigsaw puzzle. She crept up to them and touched the cold stone, looking around for enemies. There was nothing. Well, of course, she was invisible, wasn't she? Now to find the outer door ... 

She glanced out at the valley for a second. She had backup out there. All she had to do was give the signal and they would be there. Buck up, girl, and get on with it. She turned from the misty green valley and walked on tiptoe along the wall. If only it wasn't so wet. 

The chao came to a corner and peeked around it. There were the big doors for housing the various war machines the biotic army owned, and near them was a smaller door. She approached it, looking sharply around for guards, but there were none. It frightened her. Why were there no guards? Did they know of the attack they had planned? 

The door was steel and featureless. Beside it was a slot, but Elleno had no idea what it was for. She stood and looked at the door for a long time, hearing nothing but the faint patter and drop of the rain about her. Then a crazy idea came to her. She scooped up a handful of gravel, threw it at the door, and pressed herself to to wall beside it. The gravel rattled startlingly against the metal, and silence resumed. Elleno waited. 

Nothing happened for a long time. The minutes ticked by. Elleno's body was hot and cold by turns, and she sweated under her armor. She wondered if she could take it off, then decided not to try, because what if she lost it? Then her heart leaped into her throat and her hand gripped her bow, because at last something was happening. 

There came a faint scratching from the inside of the steel door, then a loud click, and it slowly swung inward. A tall, upright creature with no tail stepped out, its red eyes sweeping the area, the rain plinking on its silver hull. Elleno had no time to puzzle out the creature's species--the door was open. She inched noiselessly inside and found herself in pitch blackness. She stepped in anyway and walked down the passage, one hand touching the wall, the other held out in front of her. It was warm and rather damp--the floor felt like stone or cement. 

Suddenly her outstretched hand touched something. She felt cold steel for the barest fraction of a second, then it was gone and a pair of furious red eyes had appeared in the darkness. 

At the same time, the other biotic re-entered the fortress, and the steel door clanged shut behind Elleno. 

She was alone in the dark with them. 

* * *

"What's taking her so long?" Serena asked, fidgeting in her raincoat and trying to see through their screen of bushes. 

"She just now got inside," said Knuckles, who had followed Elleno's progress with binoculars. "Give her time." 

"I wish I had gone," said Chimera grumpily, shaking his scaly body for the thousandth time. "I'd show them what for." 

Serena reached out to pet his crimson back, and Chimera snapped at her, coming within a fraction of an inch of her fingers. Serena jerked her hand away and pretended not to have noticed. 

Slasher was walking in circles, nervously. She was as impatient as Chimera, and kept snapping her metal fangs together with a sharp clicking sound. Chalcon was sitting under a tree nearby, watching mournfully. Another battle he wouldn't get to fight in. He bit his emerald hopefully, wondering if Talon was right and he had developed a large form, but nothing happened. 

"The door's opening!" Knuckles exclaimed suddenly, still watching with binoculars. "There's Elleno, and she's signalling with a piece of biometal armor! Let's go!" The echidna threw down the binoculars, clamped his signature pair of shovelclaws over his knuckles, and pelted down the slope with Chimera bounding at his heels. Slasher and Serena followed him, relieved that Elleno had made it and that at last they were on the move. 

* * *

"Look, there they go!" exclaimed Zinc. "Let's go, Zeff!" The two silver echidnas leaped to their feet and ran down the steep, rocky trail that led to the valley floor, relieved to at last be on the move and ready for battle. 

* * *

"Max, let's go!" Talon shouted. 

The green sea-dragon thrust his head out of the water, looking down at the valley and said, "I've got a better plan. Stay close, Talon." He ducked under again. 

"Max," said the anteater very softly, the fur plastered to his body in mats, "I am going to wring your neck and feed you to Chimera if you don't COME ON NOW!!" 

The waters of the stream swirled cockily in reply, and a cloud of mud boiled up from the bottom. Then a chunk of rock heaved up in the middle, checking the water's flow like a dam. Max's head reappeared, covered with mud. "You're going to have to trust me, Talon. Now help me. Please." His blue eyes looked pleadingly into his master's brown ones. Talon glared for a moment, then grudgingly gave in. "If anything happens to Knuckles because of you," he began ominously, but Max waved a yellow flipper. "You'll save his life, Talon. I promise. Now jump in and help--you're already soaked. 

Talon sighed and waded into the water. 

* * *

In Sonic's head, from where he lay in his pod, the network was going berserk. Voices were yelling and babbling incoherently, and every so often there was a roar from all the voices as one of their number fell. Sonic's heart began to race without his knowing it. 

Suddenly the Master Voice was there again, calming the network with soothing words. The hubbub quieted. "Do not fear the freeminds, my children," said the Master Voice. "Do not attack them at all. Stand aside and let them pass. We will see what they came for ... and then I will help you destroy them." The murmur of assenting voices was almost worshipful, and Sonic waited. 

* * *

The Freedom Fighters were bunched in a group, facing outward. Fallen biotics littered the dark room about them, and hundreds of red eyes glared at them from a distance. "What's going on?" panted Chimera. 

"They've pulled back!" Slasher replied incoherently through her artificial fangs. 

"It's a trick," said Elleno, fitting another arrow to the string. 

"Wimps," said Zinc. He broke out of their circle and charged the wall of eyes, but they retreated before him and a scuffle of feet fell back into the darkness. The silver chao returned, confused. 

"Can we go on?" asked Serena. 

"How?" asked Knuckles. "It's pitch black in here!" 

"Somebody take out their emerald," said Zephyer in a flash of inspiration. "Those glow bright enough!" 

Elleno obediently took out her gem and handed it to Serena, shrinking back into a purple chao. Serena picked her up, and together the group moved down the passage, watching for attack on all sides. 

But no attack came. The red eyes watched them from every direction, but made no move to hinder the Mobians' progress. 

It took some time to locate Sonic. The rescue party had to wander about the fortress, read signs and guess where he might be. It was not without a little luck they found the prisoner conditioning unit. 

The group searched the pods quickly, blinking in the warm red light. Chimera and Knuckles appeared white. Elleno took her emerald back, regrew into large form and helped search. In a moment she drew the others' attention with a call. "Here he is!" 

The group converged on the indicated pod. "Oh, what did they do to him?" Serena cried, peering through the glass. 

"He's alive, by the looks of it," said Knuckles, tapping the glass. "Stand back, everybody." He drew back a fist, but Slasher waved her hands. "No, no! If you break it you might hurt him. We don't know if it's pressurized." 

"Then let's open it," said Serena, still looking at her brother. 

Knuckles and Chimera began trying to make sense of the unlabeled machinery on the outside of the pod. In the meantime, Zephyer and Zinc moved off, looking for Velocity. They located him four pods down from Sonic's. He was still in cheetah form, lying on his back with an oxygen mask over his face. Unlike Sonic, however, his eyes were open and staring at nothing. Only the rise and fall of his chest assured them he was still alive. "Velocity's over here," Zephyer called as Zinc knelt and looked at the pod machinery. 

The glass canopy over Sonic's tube lifted with a hiss. "There," said Knuckles as Zephyer hurried back over. 

"What if he doesn't wake--" Serena began, but Sonic's eyes fluttered open, and he moved his arms and legs. Several pairs of hands pulled the sensors off his face and chest, and unbuckled the oxygen mask. The hedgehog sat up, and to their surprise, laughed drunkenly. 

"What's so funny?" Knuckles asked in irritation. 

"They were all laughing, the Master, too," said Sonic, still smiling, but with a smile that didn't quite belong to him. "The freeminds are so stupid ..." He was cut off as they lifted him out of the pod. He couldn't stand on his feet, so Slasher was forced to carry him. 

Velocity acted even stranger when they opened his prison. He jumped to his feet and slowly swung his head back and forth. "Lobster in the flying watermelon," he mumbled. "Freeminds! The freeminds are attacking!" Then he spat out his emerald, shrank into a little blue chao and collapsed in a faint. Elleno took him in her arms, eyes glistening in the red light. 

"Let's get out of here," said Zephyer for all of them. 

A single pair of eyes and a little glinting silver was standing in the doorway. It did not retreat as they walked toward it. "Get away," said Zinc, stepping forward, head lowered. At the rear of the group, Slasher's nostrils flared in recognition, and she bared her steel fangs. The red eyes focused on her, and they all saw that these eyes were not featureless like the other biotic eyes. These had hairline pupils, like a venomous snake's. 

Suddenly Zinc vanished under something big and black. There were confused sounds of battle, and Zephyer leaped in, too. A second later the creature had vanished, Zephyer was reeling backward as if from a heavy blow, and Zinc was lying on the floor in a pool of something dark. 

Velocity, lying in Elleno's arms, opened his eyes and said in a monotone, "You will never escape now. Eat them, my children." 

Sonic erupted into laughter so alien to his own it was frightening. 

"Run for the exit," said Slasher. "Fight where you have to, but RUN!" 

Zephyer hauled Zinc to his feet, and they bolted from that hellish red room. 

The escape was managed in the end, but they fought every step of the way. Biotics attacked from all sides, big, small, armed and unarmed, but the eyes with pupils never reappeared. He made known his presence, however, by forcing Sonic and Velocity to say cruel, hurting things they would never have said otherwise. 

"Burn 'em!" Knuckles said to Chimera. "All right!" exclaimed the dragon, and he began to breathe flames in every direction, igniting everything he could with unquenchable dragonfire. It was only because of this rearguard that the group exited the fortress. 

The smell of rain, the grey light and the coolness outside was like heaven compared to the hell of the fortress. At the change in atmosphere Sonic and Velocity awakened. Velocity recognized Elleno and clung to her, begging her to keep the biotics away from him. Sonic sat up in Slasher's arms and yelled insults over her shoulder at the 'slaveminds'. 

Pilot and Tails swept down from the sky with the swiftness of a diving falcon. Slasher and Elleno ran to them. "Get them home, quick!" Slasher commanded as she set Sonic on Pilot's back. 

"Heya little bro," Sonic said to Tails. "I feel terrible, how are you?" Tails was too busy taking Velocity from Elleno to answer. Then, before Pilot took off, Tails said to Slasher, "Get to the far side of the stream as soon as you can. Talon and Max have a plan." 

"Okay," said Slasher, "now GO!" 

The violet Pegasus swept into the rain and vanished. 

Biotics were swarming out of Cragclaw, hungry for battle. With them came a red creature that no one recognized at first. "Run for the stream!" Slasher roared to the team. "Don't fight! Run!" 

Everyone ran but Zinc and Zephyer. Zinc's left leg didn't seem to work, but he was so covered in mud from several stumbles that Zephyer couldn't see what was wrong. "Go to small form," she ordered. "I can carry you." 

"No," Zinc panted. "I couldn't protect you--" 

"Zinc, do it!" 

"No!" 

"We're gonna die if you don't!" 

Without warning something struck Zephyer in the back with such force she lost hold of Zinc and tumbled downhill. By the time she righted herself and got the mud out of her eyes, the red creature was crouched over her chao. In a flash she recognized him--Robo Knux! 

Climbing back up the hill was difficult, as two biotics attacked Zephyer before she took three steps. By the time she had fended them off, Robo Knux had flown away, leaving Zinc lying on the ground. 

"Zinc! Zinc!" the echidna cried, half sobbing. He was dead, she knew it--but to her surprise, as she bent over him, the chao-robot pulled himself to his feet. "I'm all right," he said shakily. "Let's go." He grabbed her muddy arm and ran for it, his leg not hurting him at all. 

At the base of Cragclaw's hill, there flowed a sizeable stream. It had been running full earlier, full of snow runoff from the surrounding mountains, but now was almost empty. Serena and Elleno charged across, slipping on the wet stones. Knuckles and Chimera followed them a moment later, Knuckles leaping into a glide. Then Slasher came, and last of all were Zinc and Zephyer. 

The biotics came pouring down the hill after them like a wave, red eyes glowing, believing they had routed the enemy. "Here they come!" called Serena. 

"Get away from the stream!" hollered Knuckles, who had been gazing up its length for several seconds. "Get away! Hurry!" The group hurried back as the first of the biotics reached the streambed. 

A crashing sound came from up the stream, and a gray wall of water appeared in the distance, roaring down upon them with the speed of an express train. The fleeing Mobians only just missed being overtaken by the wave. Twenty feet high, tearing along with it rocks, trees, brush and chunks of ice, it swept away the biotics in its path like ants. 

Riding in its wake came Max like a sea turtle, flippers paddling and head lifted out of the water, supervising. When he saw the biotics bobbing to the surface, he ducked under with a flip of fins. Not one biotic that entered the water was ever seen again. 

Talon appeared, running as hard as he could down the stream toward the Mobians. In his arms was Chalcon, and both of them were soaking wet. Strangely enough, neither looked frightened. "Tal!" Knuckles exclaimed. "What'd you do to the stream?" 

The anteater set Chalcon down, and the chao ran to Slasher. "It was all Max's idea," Talon exclaimed between breaths, wiping his dripping hair out of his eyes. "We blocked up the stream on the hill, then when you all crossed, Max breached the dam." 

"It was great!" Chalcon exclaimed as Slasher picked him up. "I got to help build the dam, and I got to watch and see when you had all reached safety." 

The group waited for Max to finish his work, Talon shivering and teeth chattering. Chimera looked sulky. "Max saved us, I don't believe it," the little dragon growled to himself. Suddenly he leaped from Knuckles's side, spread his bat-wings and flew up toward Cragclaw. "Hey!" the echidna cried. "Chimera, get back here!" Knuckles would have followed him, but was held back by his companions. The stream was still dangerously full. 

The red reptilian figure vanished into the misty air, and a moment later a series of red flashes lit the air. These subsided after a moment, and silence reigned. 

Max crawled out of the water and lay flat with eyes closed, exhausted. Talon ran down to him. Max returned to small form, and Talon carried him up the hill to the rest. "I did it," said Max, grinning wearily. "I told you it would work, Talon." A mischievous glint entered his eyes. "Where's Chimera?" 

But before anyone could say a word of praise, the fortress above them flashed fire from every window. Biotics shot into sight, blown out of the fortress by the concussion, then black smoke poured into the sky. The boom of the explosion echoed around the valley. 

The Mobians and chao uncovered their ears and looked around fearfully. "Oh my gosh, what did he DO?" Knuckles muttered, staring in the direction Chimera had gone. 

Without warning an object fell out of the sky and bounced at the echidna's feet. Everyone gasped and stared at it. It was a blackened biotic; no, it wasn't a biotic, it was Chimera, covered in soot from head to toe. He lifted his head and looked up at Knuckles. "Well," he coughed, "I guess hydrogen and fire don't mix." He coughed up more smoke and returned to chao size so his master could carry him. 

And so, feeling like heroes, all the chao and their masters returned over the mountains south to Knothole.


	9. Chapter 9

"Shame about these going dead," said Talon, stroking a dead Super Emerald. "Do you know why they did, sir?" The anteater looked across the room at Knuckles, who was seated in front of the Master Emerald pedestal, chin resting on his crossed arms, eyes travelling over the engraved characters there. "I thought I knew," Knuckles replied without turning, "but now I'm not so sure." 

Talon had a cloth in one hand and a jar of polish in the other. He set about scrubbing the nearest super emerald. They seemed to tarnish much faster when they weren't glowing. He hummed tunelessly as he worked, perfectly content to be in Knuckles's presence in the sanctuary of Hidden Palace. He had seen enough of Knothole to last him for months. 

Knuckles rested his teeth idly on his arm as he read the inscriptions on the pedestal. He had become so adept at reading Old Mobian that he didn't even have to translate it in his head anymore. He was re-reading the section on charging a super emerald, although he knew it by heart. It just didn't work. 

Max appeared in the entrance in small form. He bounced to Talon and watched him scrub an emerald. 

"Where's Chimera, Max?" Knuckles called without moving his eyes from the pedestal. 

"He's asleep in the sun on top," Max replied. "He was cold." Knuckles nodded. Chimera had not yet recovered from the shock of being blown out of Cragclaw the previous week, and spent most of his time napping in some warm place. 

Knuckles's thoughts wandered to Sonic. The hedgehog and his chao had been ill ever since arriving back home, and they, too spent a lot of time sleeping. Sonic had begun to feel reasonably better, but still had a dizzy spell whenever he thought about the conditioning. Velocity, being a chao with a genetic structure meant for learning and changing forms, had been adversely affected. Often he would forget things, and sections of his long-range memory seemed to have been erased. He spoke of the biotic army with terror. 

But the rescue of Sonic had not been the only thing they had accomplished, Knuckles reflected. When they arrived home, they found the biotics abandoning Riverbase and wandering about, purposeless. A transmitter of some kind in Cragclaw had been destroyed, severing their mind-link. They had no idea how to fight, and the Freedom Fighters destroyed them all and reclaimed Riverbase. 

When Knuckles, Talon and their chao arrived on the Floating Island, glad to be home and ready for a rest, they were greeted by the worried Chaotix. Apparently the mysterious video camera-bot had been seen again, surveying the island. Knuckles set out to find it with a ferocious Chimera on his heels, but neither ever glimpsed it. 

Max watched Talon work at the super emerald, his head cocked to one side like a puppy. After a moment he asked, "Which one was green?" 

"The one closest to the Master emerald," said Talon, indicating it with a jerk of his head. "Don't touch it in large form. It'll make you sick like when Chimera first touched his emerald." 

"Okay Talon," said Max, bouncing across the glossy marble floor toward the formerly green emerald. 

Knuckles turned his head and looked at Talon. "How do you know what the super emeralds would do?" 

"Chalcon told me, sir," Talon replied, scrubbing vigorously. "He's studying it as much as he can. He told me some things when Slasher was away." 

"Where's he reading it?" Knuckles asked, rising to his feet. "All documentation on the power stones are on this island." 

Talon looked at him blankly. "He just said it was in a book. Where would Slasher come by such things, sir?" 

Knuckles shook his head. "I don't know, but I'm going to ask her. Max, what are you doing?" 

Max was sitting on top of a dull emerald, flippers pressed against it, staring hard into its heart. Deep within the stone, a dim light was flickering. When Knuckles spoke, Max looked up and the light died. "What?" 

"What are you doing?" Knuckles repeated. 

Max looked down at the gemstone under his feet. "I was trying to make it glow, but you made me lose my concentration." 

Knuckles had picked up Max and was stroking him before the implications of this sank in. He froze, his big hand in mid-stroke. "Talon," he exclaimed, whirling. "The chao! The chao need to charge the supers!" 

Talon dipped his rag in the polish and looked at Knuckles. "If Max could, he would have already. I think the other five chao would have to be present." 

"Talon, you and your chao are geniuses," Knuckles said warmly, setting Max on the floor. 

"Chalcon is, really," said Max cheerfully. "He told me to try that." 

"I'm going to Knothole fight now," said Knuckles, striding toward the door. "We'll get these things charged yet." 

* * *

An hour later the echidna was back, very gloomy. Talon had finished his work by this time, and was curled up in a corner in the outer chamber of Hidden Palace, feeding coconut to Max and Chimera to keep them from fighting. 

"Nobody can come today," said Knuckles, walking over and picking up Chimera, who flung his arms around his master's neck and tried to throttle him. Knuckles had to pry him loose before he could continue. "They're off fighting a battle. The biotics made a move to take the upper Mobitropolis valley." 

"I want to go!" Chimera exclaimed. 

"No way," Knuckles replied calmly. "They're already gone." 

"Will they need us?" Talon asked anxiously, standing up. 

"They might," said Knuckles. "I want you chao to get a good night's sleep because we might get called out tomorrow." 

* * *

But the island chao were not requested. For one thing, Chimera was still injured and there was no water for Max. For another, the Freedom Fighters lost. 

Their army was a ragtag bunch of poorly-equipped volunteers. The Black Claw was an army thousands strong, each unit trained to slaughter, governed by one mind. The battle lasted three days, and at the end the Freedom Fighters retreated. They had lost again, and there was no Cragclaw to demolish this time. Sally bemoaned the state the country had fallen into after Robotnik had taken Mobitropolis. There was no country anymore; there were only cities that governed the land about them the best they could. A war like this revealed how ripe Mobius was for such a thing. 

Sonic looked blank when Sally explained this to him. After a moment of looking bewildered, the hedgehog said, "I hate politics." 

Evidently Sonic wasn't the only one who didn't understand. The chao were given a lesson in recent history and government, and while they grasped some concepts, such as laws, a monarchy or republic was beyond them. "I don't see what all this has to do with the biotics," said Pilot, fluttering her chao wings. 

"It's not making our side any stronger," Zinc agreed. "We got pounded out there." 

"Sally?" Chalcon said shyly. 

She turned from the large map on the easel and smiled at him. "What is it, Chalcon?" 

"Well," said the little blue chao, "I was thinking that we lost because we haven't played our strengths. The Freedom Fighters, I mean." 

Sally looked at him, her smile fading into a serious look. "What do you mean?" The other chao also stared at Chalcon, all ears. 

"The Freedom Fighters never waged war before," said Chalcon, gazing steadily at Sally. "Sonic told me that when Dr. Robotnik occupied Robotropolis, you ran sabotage missions to cripple him, because you would have been flattened in a frontal assault." 

"That's right." 

"We should do the same thing now. Let's find something the biotics use, like a factory, and blow it up." 

Sally stared down at Chalcon, a funny look on her face. The other chao watched her, wondering if she were angry. Instead she scooped up Chalcon, kissed him and set him back down. "Chalcon, you're a genius. I'm done, you guys, class dismissed!" She dashed from the room. 

"Gee Chalcon, I hope you're right," said Velocity. 

"Have I ever been wrong before?" Chalcon asked. 

The other chao looked at each other. So far, he had not. 

* * *

The Freedom Fighters began a run of good luck. They spied, hacked, travelled and established alliances, and along the way dealt several painful blows to the biotics. 

Hundreds of miles to the north, near the Sea of Ice, was a giant biotic construction facility. Prisoners were sent to it by the truckload, and emerged weeks later as ferocious, mindless cyborgs. A single flag flew from its tower; a red rectangle with a black raptor claw stamped on it. 

The Freedom Fighters struck hard and pulled out. Taking a cue from Chimera, they located the hydrogen tank storage--apparently it was a main ingredient in biometal--set charges on them and fled. 

The explosion was 'something fine', as the chao put it. The factory burned to the ground with many internal explosions as other chemicals caught fire. The chao attacked the fleeing biotics, and few escaped. Even Velocity lent a fang, although he went bonkers whenever a biotic came close. It seemed that the nearer one drew, the louder and clearer became the voices of the network in his head. "They tell me things," he whimpered to Sonic afterward. "Their Master always knows it's me, and says that he's going to kill all the freeminds because they are an inferior lifeform. Sonic, CAN he kill everyone in the world?" Sonic replied in the negative, although doubtfully. He could not exactly hear the network when he go close to a biotic, but he got a strange feeling he described as "a chemical smell, like film." 

Other factories and a repair facility met the same fate as the first. Once Max, thinking of Cragclaw, engineered an ingenious attack, re-routing a stream to flood an underground facility. During the fight that followed ("It's exactly like cockroaches crawling out of a flooded pipe!"), it was discovered that biotics could not communicate underwater. 

Then the Black Claw struck twice, one blow mild, the other heavy. The heavy blow fell far to the south in an unexpected direction. The Freedom Fighter looked on in amusement as the biotics attacked, not Sapphire City, but Robotnik's Final Egg fortress deep in the jungle. 

It was a ferocious battle. Robotnik had built an army of robots nearly as tough as the biotics themselves, and for two weeks the armies battled, day and night without rest. "Good ol' Doc!" Knuckles exclaimed. "Show 'em what for!" All the Freedom Fighters were inclined to feel kindly toward their old enemy, who seemed like a pompous old grandfather compared to the merciless Black Claw. 

One army or the other hard to triumph. The biotics, slightly stronger than the war-bots, eventually won out. Final Egg and all the equipment within fell to the Black Claw, and the original biotic raptor was home again. 

The mild blow fell much, much closer to home, and while cruel, it was not fatal. 

Slasher had been away all day on a scouting mission somewhere in the Dark Mountains to the east. No one thought much of it when she did not return before nightfall; the big raptor often took several days to thoroughly complete her mission. Sometime late that night she returned, for the next morning she was shut in her hut. The odd thing was that she wouldn't let anyone see her, not even Chalcon, who took it personally. 

It was noon before the big raptor unlocked her door, and only then because Sonic had hammered on it for half an hour. She opened the door a crack and peered at him with one green eye. Sonic looked quite fierce. "Slasher, let me in! I thought only Tails did this!" Without a word she opened the door and stood aside. Chalcon ducked in with Sonic. 

Sonic looked around, expecting to see blood, but the hut was immaculate as usual, and Slasher looked perfectly healthy. The velociraptor folded her arms and looked at him in irritation. "There. You've seen me. Don't say a word--I know I'm disfigured." 

Sonic blinked and looked at her, his anger ebbing. She hadn't a scratch on her, and her wings were groomed and sleek as they always were. "You're kidding, Slash," he said, venturing a smile. "There's nothing wrong with you. 

Slasher made an angry clicking sound. "Can't you see? Look!" She spread a wing for him to see. Chalcon saw it first and gasped, but it took Sonic a second longer to grasp what he was seeing. Her wing was three feet shorter. The primary or 'finger' feathers had been cut in a neat line, with almost surgical precision. She refolded that wing and lifted the other to show him the cut feathers there, too, then paced up and down. Sonic had never seen the big raptor so ashamed and angry. "Can you still fly?" he asked. 

She spun about to face him. "No! I can't fly! Don't you know what it means to have your wings clipped? I might as well be beating the air with golf clubs!" 

"You can't fly?" 

"No!" the raptor raged. "I won't be able to fly until my wings moult this fall and new feathers grow. They clipped my wings!" 

"Who did?" 

"Who do you think? The biotics. They ambushed me and held me down, and out came the shears. Then they let me go, and I swear they were laughing." She snarled at the memory and beat her wings. Sonic ducked. He knew what a clout from one of those felt like. "But I can still use them," she growled, stalking to and fro. "I can still beat somebody's head in with one blow. Sonic, go away and let me cool off." 

The hedgehog slipped outside, wondering vaguely if Chalcon would be safe with her. To his surprise, Tails was standing just outside the door with Pilot in his arms. Both pairs of eyes were wide. "What happened to Slasher?" Tails whispered. 

Sonic drew him across the road to the cover of a tree and told his sidekick of the raptor's misfortune. "Bummer," murmured Pilot. "I always liked watching her fly. So she can't fly until her feathers regrow?" 

"Nope," Sonic replied. "It looks like it's up to you and Tails to do our aerial work from now on." 

"Elleno and Chimera can fly," Tails pointed out. 

"Not for very great distances," Pilot replied. "We tried once. Chimera flies real fast for a little way, then burns out. Elleno's jetpack is attached to her, so when she gets tired, it gets tired." 

"Hi Sonic," came Velocity's voice from the ground. 

Sonic jumped and saw his chao in small form standing near his ankle. "Where'd you come from?" 

"I ran," said the indigo chao, his eyes shifting to Pilot. Pilot looked startled for a fraction of a second, then the look was masked at once. 

"Sonic," said Velocity, "Zephyer and Zinc are having a big fight. You should come listen." 

"I'm not gonna eavesdrop," Sonic said indignantly. 

"You can't help it," Velocity replied with a grim smile. "You can hear them a mile away. C'mon!" He tugged at his master's knee. Sonic shrugged and walked off, Tails at his heels. 

Velocity was right; Zephyer and Zinc were audible all the way down the street. People were staring curiously in the direction of their hut, and Elleno was standing unabashed outside the door, listening. She looked up as Sonic and Tails approached. "It's nothing very serious," she told them in disappointment as they walked up. "Zephyer's going on about how Zinc got hurt in Cragclaw, and he's saying he wasn't. That's all." But Sonic, Velocity, Tails and Pilot could hear for themselves. 

"He attacked you, I saw him! That was Robo Knux!" 

"You saw wrong, there wasn't anything near me. That robot never touched me, I swear!" 

"But I saw him kneeling over you!" 

"I'm telling you, he was flying by and you saw wrong!" 

"I did not, Zinc! Why can't you just admit it?" 

"There's nothing to admit! I'm right and you're wrong, that's all!" 

The door banged open and Zinc barreled out into the sun in large form, his robotic eyes shimmering in fury. He stopped and glared at his audience, then stormed off in an embarrassed huff. 

Zephyer appeared at the door, face flushed. She noticed the eavesdroppers at once. "You guys want something?" 

"Not really," said Sonic casually. "We just heard a lot of noise and wondered what was up." 

The echidna gave an exasperated sigh. "It's Zinc. He got hurt by a biotic when were were leaving Cragclaw. I'm sure he was bleeding--there was something all over the floor. He was limping as we ran. Then we got separated and Robo Knux found him, and when we ran again, Zinc wasn't limping at all. It doesn't make sense." This was news to Sonic and Tails, for they had been en-route to Knothole at the time. 

"Maybe the robot erased his memory," said a voice. Sonic turned and saw Nash standing behind him, a look of interest in his yellow eyes. The bandage was gone from his head, and there was only a little patch of gauze on his chest. He could have passed for his future self in a second. Sonic's eyes narrowed in hatred. "What would you know?" 

"I know enough not to underestimate the Black Claw," Nash replied, sensing Sonic's hostility. "At least I didn't end up as part of their network." 

"I did not!" Sonic snarled, the spines on his back bristling. "I couldn't help it, and neither could Velocity!" 

The cougar and hedgehog glowered at each other a moment, then Nash deliberatly turned his back on Sonic. "As I was saying," he said to Zephyer, "the robot may have been carrying some of the Black Claw's technology, and shocked your chao with it. That could explain why he doesn't remember." 

Zephyer glanced at Sonic to see the hedgehog whirl and stamp away, Velocity at his heels. Tails stayed put, looking from Sonic to Nash and back again, confused. 

"You might be right," said Zephyer, folding her arms. "It's really weird for Zinc to get so angry." 

Nash looked around, saw Sonic was gone and lowered his voice. "What is it about me that he hates?" 

Zephyer glanced after Sonic and debated telling Nash the truth. No, she had better not. Who would believe it? "You remind him of somebody who tried to kill him once," she replied simply. "Just ignore him. He'll get over it." 

Nash nodded and sighed. "It's like he holds me responsible for selling out Riverbase. But that was Kit's doing, not mine." He patted Pilot's head gently and walked away. 

Tails approached Zephyer. "I don't see how he can be the Nash that came here, demanding the eighth chaos emerald. He's too nice!" 

"I know," Zephyer replied softly. "If Sonic doesn't watch it, he'll make the future come true just by being a jerk." <


	10. Chapter 10

Sonic was still stewing that night, lying in his hammock with Velocity curled in a shoebox next to him. Having Nash walk free about the village was bad enough, but it was worse seeing Slasher slink around, head down, ashamed of her clipped wings. One couldn't tell unless one knew, for her wings hid the damage while closed, but she seemed to think the cut ends stood out like neon lights. 

Sonic rolled over and looked down at Velocity. He blinked. His chao was gone. 

The hedgehog sat up and turned on the light. The shoebox was empty. "Velos?" he called, sliding out of his hammock. That was weird--he always heard when his chao got up. Sonic padded about the hut in his socks, looking under things and behind things, whispering Velocity's name. No chao. 

Sonic walked back to his hammock to put his shoes on, and stopped, startled. Velocity was back in the shoebox, curled up and sleeping as before. Sonic knelt and stroked him. What a great trick. Velocity must have got back in bed when Sonic got up. Or maybe he had sleepwalked. 

It was not until the hedgehog was back in bed that the chao began to talk in his sleep. At first he only mumbled, but after a while he began to speak clearly. Sonic lay stiff in his hammock, listening in cold horror. 

"Steel and plastic are cleaner than any organic body. A plastic tree will not litter its nasty organic leaves on the ground year after year. We will replace the trees. There will be forests that remain perfect year round. The soil must be sterilized to rid it of bacterial filth and simple organisms. And last, the oceans will be freed of the garbage that pollutes it day after day with organic life functions. Look how clean and sterile the moons are; absolutely free of pollution and taint. We shall make Mobius as pure as they are. Ah, and the people! All people will become living minds in clean mechanical bodies. No longer will they be forced to stuff themselves with weeds and beasts--they will function on pure energy. What a noble task is before us!" 

At this point Sonic slid out of bed and shook Velocity. "Velos, stop it, you're creeping me out! Wake up!" 

The chao opened his eyes, startled. "Sonic? What's wrong? It's still nighttime!" 

"Were you dreaming? You were talking in your sleep." 

Velocity sat up and yawned. "I don't think I was dreaming. I don't remember anything. What was I saying?" 

"Stuff about--" Sonic hesitated. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to repeat it. 

Velocity, however, guessed the subject of his words from his master's silence. "Not ... the biotics?" he whispered. 

Sonic nodded. "It was like you were transmitting a speech of ... of the Master's." 

Velocity shuddered. "Don't tell me, I'm sure it was horrid. Can I sleep with you tonight?" 

Velocity spent the rest of the night curled up beside Sonic's head on the pillow. Just as he was dozing off, Sonic remembered how Velocity had disappeared, and resolved to ask his chao about it in the morning. But by the next morning, he had forgotten it. 

* * *

After this, all word of the biotics ceased for six weeks. There were no more takeovers, no armies marching overland, no robot spies on the Floating Island. A dreadful calm settled on Northern Mobius like a midsummer heatwave. 

"Maybe they sued for peace," Serena suggested to her brother one warm afternoon while swimming. 

Sonic spouted water like a fountain, floating on his back. "Dictators want peace, all right. A piece of this country, a piece of that country ... the biotics are probably up to something really bad, that's all." 

"I wish it were over," the violet hedgehog murmured, basking up to her chin in the water. "I wish the Black Claw were defeated and we were back to normal again." 

"But that'd be boring!" Sonic replied. "I like the battles, the action ..." 

"... the fear of getting robotized," Serena added. 

"It's not robotized," Sonic corrected. "Cyborgs are different. Once you're a cyborg, there's no reversing it." 

"That's why it's scary," said Serena, rolling over to float on her back, too. "I wish we could just kill the leader and be done." 

"You know, Slasher thinks that the robo raptor that was hanging around here last fall is the leader." 

Serena shuddered in spite of the warm sun and water. "He certainly scared me. He had a metal face." 

The two had little idea what the biotics were up to. 

The six weeks of peace was ended when Sally logged onto the satellite network and found it packed with SOS's, pleas for help and news articles of mass destruction. The biotics had been busy, all right. They had shifted their attacks to Eastern Mobius, halfway across the world from Knothole. Countries and armies fell before the ever-growing biotic army, and none could halt them. Once in a while a supposed victory would be announced, as magnetic pulse or laser fencing confounded the Black Claw, but was followed soon afterward by accounts of the merciless rage of the biotics once they overcame the obstacle. Overshadowing these was a terrifying message from a creature who called himself Leviathan and claimed to be the leader of the Black Claw. He boasted that it didn't matter whatever happened, he would never give up the fight, and that nothing would stop him from reaching the very top. 

The Freedom Fighters read all this with silent, anguished fear. The army of the Black Claw grew with each captive they took, and their leader was the most cunning of them all. He was rarely with his armies; he seemed to mastermind all the battles from a distance. 

In the depths of their despair, Knuckles burst in, aglow with excitement. "Max found a biotic base, and you'll never guess where it is!" 

* * *

Earlier that morning, Knuckles had landed the Floating Island in the ocean to pick up fresh water from Hydrocity. Max and Talon had run down to the shore and dove in, rejoicing to be at the ocean. 

Hours later, tired of swimming, Talon crawled up on the shore and fell asleep on the warm sand. Max frisked about nearby for a while, and then in boredom, began to dive. 

The chao went to large form for more swimming power, and dove for the ocean floor, fathoms below. As he descended the blue light faded into dusk, and the water grew cold. The pressure increased, but Max was built to take it and didn't mind. His lungs comfortably full, he dove, swimming in waves like a snake, hind feet paddling and flippers out for balance. This was no pond; this was a vast new world! Why had he never swam in the ocean before? It fit him as naturally as the air fit Pilot. He opened his broad jaws and chattered like a dolphin, a sound that was ordinarily too shrill for him to make on shore. Here it sounded natural and good. He made noise as he descended, happy just to listen to himself and not much caring about the return trip. 

At last the ocean floor appeared, rough with rocks and some sort of seaweed. Patches of sand stood out here and there in sky-blue expanses. Max dove toward it, spiralling for sheer joy. How lovely this place was! And it was his to explore, to enjoy. Immediately he wished Talon could share it with him, but Talon's lungs were not large enough for such a dive. 

The little sea-creature flitted here and there, exploring, snapping at plankton floating in the water, and testing his strength with spurts of lightning speed. 

He had wandered quite far when a huge, vague shape in the distance caught his attention. He swam toward it, wondering if it were an undersea mountain of some kind. He was quite close before his sea-piercing gaze recognized it, and he flipped to a halt. 

It was a wide, flat dome of glass, reinforced with crisscrossed metal beams. Lights dimly illuminated it, and figures moved to and fro inside with a jerky, quick motion that could only be made in air. Max swam forward, cautious and curious. 

It took a single glance through the glass to send him streaking at an angle toward the surface in the opposite direction. 

He breached the surface, drew a breath and looked about. Good grief, he was at least five miles from the Floating Island! He ducked underwater and began to swim as fast as he could, coming up for air once in a while. 

Stamped on the side of that dome had been the word "Subterran", and the symbol of the Black Claw. 

* * *

Evening on the Floating Island. The west was ablaze with gold and crimson, the sky was a dusky cornflower blue, and the scattered fair-weather clouds were dyed neon pink. Crickets chirped all around Chaotix Central as the Freedom Fighters and their chao, seated on the soft grass, held a council of war. 

Max had returned from a swift, thorough scouting mission four hours before. He had discovered that there was not one dome, but three; the main one and two smaller ones in a triangle. They were connected to each other by tubes like big pipes. Another pipe ran from the main dome toward the mainland, but it vanished into an undersea cliff and Max hadn't been able to follow it further. 

Sonic had surveyed the tube's angle, and after much searching on the coastline, located the exit tunnel. It was an iron door disguised by rocks and brush, set into the side of a hill. Curiously, it was not locked, and behind it was a tunnel leading down into blackness. 

"Can we burn Subterran like we did Cragclaw?" Chimera asked, clapping his little chao hands with excitement. 

"A lot of good that would do in an undersea base," Tails said. "We should flood it." 

"And smash it un so they can't repair it," Max added from Talon's lap. The little green chao was tired out from all the swimming of that day. 

"Yes, but how?" asked Chalcon. "Walk in with a sledgehammer, break the glass and leave? Wouldn't that be a little difficult with biotics all about?" 

"Not if we sent in a team," said Sonic from his corner of the circle, where he was combing Velocity's cheetah fur. "One person to set the charges, the rest to battle until they finish. That's how we did it in Robotropolis sometimes." He grinned to himself, remembering some of the fights he had had with the SWAT-bots. 

"That's all well and good for open air," said Knuckles, "but this is under water. Once a charge goes off, the base will be flooded in a matter of seconds. You'd have to get in, set a charge with a detonator, and get out, and hope they didn't notice." 

"I could do it!" said Elleno, eyes sparkling. "I can turn invisible! Why not let me and Zinc go? I'd be invisible, and he looks like a biotic in large form." Zephyer and Serena looked hopeful. 

"No," said Slasher flatly. "You four have never even seen the kind of charges we're using, and the pair of you would get separated as sure as Chalcon is my chao. Zinc would get distracted by fighting, as he tends to do, and Elleno would go off alone and blow herself up." Zinc and Elleno looked at each other, offended, and Zephyer and Serena looked disappointed. 

"If I was stronger we wouldn't have to use charges," Max grumbled. "I could smash everything to pieces myself." 

"If I was stronger," said Chimera sarcastically, "you would be my first meal." 

Max opened his mouth to retort, but Talon covered his mouth with a gentle but firm hand. "I don't see why not," said Talon, fixing an eye on Knuckles. 

Knuckles took the hint and cleared his throat. "Since everyone is here with their chao, could we spare a few moments for an experiment?" 

"What kind of experiment?" Sonic asked, looking up from Velocity's fur, which by this time was gleaming like watered silk. 

"I believe I have found how to recharge the super emeralds," said Knuckles, stroking Chimera roughly with excitement. "But all the chao have to be there or it won't work." 

"What're we waiting for?" Sonic exclaimed as he leaped to his feet. "Let's do it, man!" 

* * *

For some of the chao, recharging a super emerald was as easy as breathing. For others it was the most difficult thin they had ever attempted. It fell out unexpectedly. 

Almost as soon as Chalcon touched his emerald, its color and glow sprang to life, blue as the midday sky. "Wow," he said to Slasher, "that was easy! I wish I could use it." 

Zinc and Chimera, considered by the rest to be the strongest of the chao, struggled, panted and concentrated to bring a faint glow to theirs. It took them a long time to bring them completely to life and color. 

Velocity also had trouble activating his, but a few feet away, Elleno had let hers and was admiring its warm orange glow. Max, who had already played with the green emerald once, simply lay down on it and yawned, seeming to pay it no attention, and the green glow kindled like slow fire. Pilot sat and watched everyone else, then curiously looked into the center of her own emerald, wondering what they did. Her emerald flooded with purple light at once. 

Knuckles was bouncing from foot to foot in delight, whooping each time a super revived. Zephyer stood near him, watching the proceedings with every drop of echidna blood in her body. It gave her a strange feeling of belonging, as she had never had in her life. She was an echidna, and the Floating Island was as much a part of her heritage as it was Knuckles's. "Look!" she cried in a whisper, grabbing Knuckles's arm to stop his dancing, "their chaos emeralds are glowing, too! What's happening?" 

Indeed, each chao's emerald around their necks were shining like stars. "Power balance," Knuckles replied. "The chaos and supers are fully charged again, hooray!" 

As he spoke, Pilot jumped to the floor and ran to Tails. Once she was at his side, the violet chao thrust her purple emerald into her mouth and grew to large form. But she didn't stop there. Her filly-form appeared for a second, then stretched and elongated into something bigger. It solidified into a horse, an enormous horse, but with such delicate proportions she seemed small. She opened her golden wings, much paler gold than Slasher's hardy colors, and tossed her head. Protruding from her forehead was a long, ivory horn that tapered to delicate pink at the base. 

The other chao and their owners stared in amazement. Pilot bowed her head to her young master and let him stroke her soft muzzle. "It's easy," she nickered. "No more flying away from battle for you and I, Tails." 

Immediately all the other chao leaped to the floor and bit their emeralds, the word "Ultimate" rippling around Hidden Palace. But to everyone's disappointment, the other chao could only reach large form--no other Ultimates appeared. "How'd you do that, Pilot?" someone called. She lifted her soft purple head and said, "I can see it in my head. When you change, just go higher. The super emeralds gave me my new form. 

The other chao tried it, but no one could do it. At last, discouraged, the gang trooped out of Hidden Palace, through a teleporter and back to the surface. Pilot returned to large form to prevent jealousy, but the other chao were jealous anyway. Chimera was all for beating her up and taking her emerald. 

"This is nice," said Slasher, "but it doesn't do much toward planning what to do to Subterran." 

"It's a dumb name," Chalcon pointed out from his perch on her back. "Sub means under and Terra means ground or earth. They should have named it something like sub-aqua." 

"They're just robots," said Talon. "They probably aren't big on linguistics." He looked at Knuckles and added, "I'd go down there and help plant charges, and Max could keep watch from outside." 

"I know how to plant charges," said Knuckles, looking at Slasher, "but I'd need somebody to hold off the biotics." 

Zinc coughed in the distance and cleared his throat, and Velocity waved his paws for attention, but the echidna ignored them. 

Slasher nodded. "I can still fight, even if my wings won't hold me in the air. I believe we have the beginning of a plan." 

* * *

Light did not penetrate far beneath the ocean, and Subterran went about its business in a rippling blue twilight, even at high noon. Unlike Cragclaw, which had operated in total darkness, Subterran had lights, for it was a command center and light was required for the biotics to read screens and printouts. 

The three Mobians who crept through the first steel tube and into the main dome were relieved to see the lights, and put away their flashlights. Only Slasher had her chao; Knuckles had left his dragon behind, for they couldn't risk a premature explosion under the water. Max was outside somewhere in large form, watching the interior of the main dome through the glass, waiting to carry any distress signal to the surface, where Pilot and Tails hovered in case of an emergency. 

Slasher peered into the main dome cautiously before entering, tapping her metal fang-inserts together very softly. Only Chalcon, setting on her back, could hear it. The big raptor saw a large console in the center of the room with screens and machinery on it, but there were no biotics. The air was stuffy and cold, and a harsh buzz came from the lights and walls. Outside, in the dark blueness beyond the glass, a shadowy form stirred at the sight of her. She nodded to Max, then beckoned to Talon and Knuckles. The two stepped in, looking around nervously. 

"Here first," whispered Knuckles hoarsely. He walked toward the island of equipment, opening the little box of charges he was carrying. Talon followed him, eyes travelling over the ribs of the dome above them. He looked at Max for a moment and waved, some of the apprehension fading from his face. Max waved back and swam over the dome, watching them. 

Slasher walked to the glass, and Max swam down to face her. Chalcon motioned and waved, asking Max to see where the biotics were. The green chao outside nodded and flipped away into the hazy distance. 

Slasher paced around in silence, looking and listening as Talon and Knuckles set the charges. The charges were very small-- hardly the size of a pocket pager--with a little screen, and a row of incomprehensible buttons. Knuckles set them, and Talon duct-taped them to the sides of the machines. 

Max reappeared at the glass, waving his flippers frantically. Slasher ran to him, and Chalcon translated his gestures in a murmur. "He's saying the biotics are in the third dome, and there's something else with them. I think. I can't understand him. Oh, he means they're coming down the left tunnel." 

Slasher nodded and whispered, "Guys, the biotics are coming. Go down the right tunnel, I'll guard your backs." Knuckles and Talon grabbed their equipment and ran for it. They disappeared down the right tunnel as the sound of clanking footsteps came down the left one. Slasher backed into it, watching for danger, but the biotics did not notice. There were only three foxes. They concentrated on the monitors, oblivious to the charges taped to the units near the floor. 

Slasher emerged in the small dome and looked about. Knuckles and Talon were working feverishly, but this time there were rows and rows of equipment, and it would take them a while. Max hovered outside, watching anxiously. The almost total silence of Subterran was beginning to weigh on the nerves of the whole gang. Chalcon was clinging to Slasher's wings so hard he was pinching, Slasher's feet and hands were sweaty, and Talon and Knuckles kept wiping moisture from their faces. 

"Done," Knuckles announced in a whisper, standing up and shaking back his dreadlocks. He and Talon looked at Max to see if it was safe. Max nodded, and they darted down the next passage. Slasher started to follow them, but paused as Max went berserk, flipping and spinning in agitation. Then Slasher and Chalcon heard stealthy footsteps behind them. 

Slasher whipped around to face the newcomer, and found herself facing the leader of the Black Claw, Leviathan himself. 

He was a big black raptor with silver biotic metal and dark orange spots on his chest and underbelly. His red, glowing eyes stared out of his steel face, a face with a jagged edge for teeth. His steel feet bore ridiculously huge toe-claws that dwarfed Slasher's own, and the last foot or so of his lithe tail was covered with iron spikes. He was a foot taller than Slasher, and probably much stronger. 

They faced each other in silence for a moment, neither moving. Chalcon cowered down between his mistress's wings, trembling like a leaf. 

"Thank you for the warning," said the biotic raptor in a mechanical voice. "One of your team has proven to be a reliable source of information." 

Slasher tensed, and Chalcon cowered even lower. Did that mean there was a spy ...? 

"As you can see," the robot raptor went on without pausing, "Subterran has been evacuated and all but shut down. Your strike is futile." 

Then the Black Claw leader spun like lightning and whipped his spike-studded tail into Slasher's throat. The iron spikes drove into her flesh and ripped it wide open, and a moment later Slasher was breathing her last in a heap on the floor. 

At least, that is what would have happened had not Chalcon been there. 

The little blue chao, lacking a large form, could not attack the enemy raptor, so all he could do was sit and watch. A second before Leviathan swung his tail, Chalcon saw what the robot would do, and what would happen to his beloved mistress if the blow made contact. So, as the deadly tail cut through the air, Chalcon leaped from the cover of Slasher's wing and intercepted it. 

The mace-tail still struck Slasher in the throat, but the spikes were padded by Chalcon's body. 

The chao fell to the floor as the biotic whipped his tail away for another swing. It had happened so quickly neither raptor knew what had happened. Slasher snatched up her chao, and it was not until then she saw the blood. 

Slasher's scream of fury and grief shook Subterran, and Max could hear it from outside. A battle ensues, Slasher insane with rage, the biotic raptor cool and collected. Slasher kicked, bit, tore, wrenched and whipped with her own tail, but did not think to use her wings for several minutes. When she did, she pounded the biotic about the head with them, driving her silver fangs into his body, heedless of any damage to herself. The smell of Chalcon's blood was in her nostrils, for if anyone has loved a chao, the smell of that chao's blood sends them into an immediate frenzy. 

Knuckles and Talon had frozen at the sound of Slasher's screech. "Should we help her?" Talon whispered, eyes wide, hands in mid-air with a piece of tape between them. 

"She's all right," Knuckles whispered back as the sounds of battle drifted down the hall. "Maybe they surprised her. Hurry up, we're almost done." The two worked feverishly, so familiar with their task by endless repetition they could work like biotics themselves. 

"Done," Talon hissed as the last charge was fastened to the last monitor unit. 

"Good, let's go," Knuckles replied, jumping to his feet. 

At that moment, Slasher appeared, hands bloody and a crazed look in her eyes. "Let's get out of here," she snarled, "and blow it all to kingdom come!" She darted up the tunnel toward the main dome, Knuckles and Talon hard on her heels. 

They did not stop until they had reached the darkness of the mainland tunnel. Then Slasher stopped and said, "Do it, now. Set them off." Her voice was broken and winded. 

Knuckles pulled out his detonator. "Right now?" 

"Knux, Chalcon is dying. Do it now." 

"Chalcon is ...?" The echidna looked down at the red blinking light of the detonator, then set his teeth and pressed the button. There was a dull 'whomp' in the distance. 

They finally arrived in bright daylight at the top of the tunnel. Slasher's face looked colder and more reptilian than Knuckles had ever seen it. In her cupped hands lay Chalcon. The chao's body had been pierced in five places, and completely run through in two. He had bled so much already that the wounds weren't bleeding much at all anymore, not because they were closing, but because most of his blood was gone. Knuckles gulped at the sight of him, and pity rose in his heart. "Don't look, Tal," he said. He glanced around for the anteater, but he wasn't there. Pity was replaced by panic. "Slash, where's Talon?" 

The big raptor glanced around, then her eyes widened. "Is he in the tunnel?" 

Knuckles dashed back down the tunnel, shouting Talon's name, hands extended to keep from knocking his head against something. The tunnel curved downward, then the echidna splashed into water. "Talon!" he cried. The anteater had been running behind him. He might have stumbled, or been tackled by a biotic--"Oh why wasn't I holding his hand? Sonic always holds Tails's when they're running from something!" He thought of pressing the detonator switch, and of the muffled explosion in the distance. He had taken his best friend's life! And there was absolutely nothing he could do about it now. 

Feeling like Slasher had looked--cold and reptilian--Knuckles turned and began the long trudge back into the light of day.


	11. Chapter 11

Max had seen it all. 

He had seen the black biotic raptor emerge from the tunnel behind Slasher and pursue the three as they fled for the exit. Max had swam alongside them all the way. He had seen the black raptor leap into the air and come down with his claws in Talon's back. He had seen Knuckles and Slasher escape, neither of them realizing that Talon wasn't with them. He had seen the biotic raptor jerk Talon to his feet and hold him there, to die when the charges went off. The young anteater looked imploringly into his chao's eyes, begging him to do something. Max hadn't known what to do. Should he go for help? Should he try to break the glass? 

Then the charges had detonated. 

Max was blown end over end, the water resounding with noise and vibration that deafened him. Presently he righted himself and tore back to where Subterran had been. The domes were now piles of rubble, great streamers of bubbles wafting upward like smoke. "Talon!" Max cried into the water, but there was no answer. He swam to and fro frantically, looking and poking into the rubble for his master. 

His shark-like sense of smell aided him, and at last he located Talon under a twisted metal beam. Miraculously, the anteater was still alive, although red was seeping from his nose and ears. His eyes were open, and flickered with recognition when he saw Max. He limply brushed a hand over the beam that had him pinned. The chao shoved it, butted it, tried to drag it in his mouth, but it was too heavy. Talon watched for a few seconds, but he couldn't hold his breath much longer. Bubbles trickled out of his mouth. Max was growing frantic. Talon was going to drown, and he couldn't free him. "Someone help me!" he cried despairingly into the empty water. 

All at once an idea occurred to him. Much later he would wonder if God had made him think of it. The super emerald! If he could go to Ultimate form, he could free his master. The chao spat out his emerald, then bit it again and tried to make himself bypass large form and move to something beyond. 

It worked. When Max dared to open his eyes (half a second later), he found himself the size of a whale. He had lost his frog-like hind legs and grown powerful flukes, and his head was the size of a boxcar. 

He nudged the metal beam aside easily, scooped up his master's body in his big mouth, then leaped for the surface. 

Ultimate form was powerful! The sea dragon broke the surface and opened his mouth to give Talon some air. Holding his head out of the water, he swam toward the mainland, half a mile away. He covered it in twenty seconds and beached himself, then gently deposited his master in the sand. 

Talon began to cough as soon as Max opened his mouth, and now as he felt the warm dry sand, he opened his eyes and looked up at his chao, now grown to gigantic proportions. "Hi Max," he whispered with a smile. "You made it to Ultimate." Then he collapsed in a dead faint. 

* * *

"It should be raining," said Sonic. 

Everything had gone wrong. Talon was injured from the force of the blast, and was in bed, unable to move. Subterran had been shut down before the attack, and it hadn't hurt the Black Claw at all. The creature Slasher had battled and who had looked like the biotic leader had simply been a biotic duplicate with his master speaking through him. There was a rumor of a spy in their midst. And Chalcon had regressed. 

Sonic stood outside Slasher's hut, staring at nothing and hugging Velocity to his chest. "It always rains in the movies when bad things happen," Sonic told his chao. "Like funerals and defeats and that stuff." He glanced at the bright, cheerful sun and wondered if he would ever be happy again. Slasher probably wouldn't. 

Chalcon had clung to life for twenty-four hours, in a deep coma from extensive blood loss. A transfusion was not possible, for no one had any idea of a chao's blood type. He had awakened that day at noon and looked up at Slasher, who was standing over him anxiously. "Slasher," he whispered to her. "I'm ... not ... the spy." Then he closed his eyes, sighed and the white otiae-cocoon appeared over him. 

Everyone had come to see the little bloodied chao in the cocoon, and tell Slasher how sorry they were. The big raptor sported assorted bandages on her chest and arms, but didn't seem to care. She remained at her chao's side, but her face was cold. Her eyes were spiritless, and she spoke to no one. 

Then the cocoon vanished, and there, where Chalcon had been an hour before, was a blue and yellow speckled chao egg. Chao did not die. They regressed. 

The only person in the village with grief to match Slasher's was Knuckles. The echidna had the same haunted, empty look about his eyes, and was at present seated at Talon's bedside, holding the weak clawed hand. 

Talon's ears were stuffed with cotton and wrapped about with a white bandage, as the force of the underwater blast had ruptured his eardrums. He couldn't hear very well, but loud sounds hurt him, so communication was difficult. His body was bruised all over, and his right knee had been dislocated by the weight of the beam that had trapped him, but other than that he wasn't hurt too badly. 

"It's all right, sir," he whispered to Knuckles, giving the big hand a faint squeeze. "It's not your fault. I should have been with you." 

"It is my fault," Knuckles murmured back fiercely. "I didn't look out for you like I should have. I could have ..." The echidna thought again of pressing that deadly detonator button, and of what it must have been like to be standing near the blast. "I could have killed you," he finished painfully. 

Talon clutched his hand and closed his eyes, seeing in his head the white blast, feeling the concussion strike him in the gut and blow him through the wall of the dome, which disintegrated, feeling the icy slap as seawater engulfed him ... 

The door opened and Zephyer entered with Zinc under one arm. She set her chao down and pulled up a chair beside Knuckles. Zinc found Max, and the two discussed reaching Ultimate forms in whispers. 

"Hello miss Zephyer," Talon whispered, managing a weak smile. 

Zephyer squeezed his hand and said softly, "How are you, Talon?" 

"Better," said the anteater firmly, as if trying to make himself believe it. "Really, I am. Tell her, sir." 

Knuckles looked at the floor and said, "Yeah." He looked very dejected, hunched forward with his elbows on his knees and big hands hanging limp. Zephyer thought to herself that he looked worse than Talon did. 

"It's not your fault," she said to him. "Accidents happen. You can't look out for everybody all the time, and you were distracted by Slasher." Talon saw her reach out to pat Knuckles on the back, but stop and pull her hand back, curling her fingers in loathing under her metal. "Zephyer," said Talon softly, "pat him for me. It might make him feel better." She smiled shyly and did so, but Knuckles only buried his face in his hands. 

They remained like that for a long time, a grieving echidna with his shoulders shaking silently, another echidna, sorrowing too deeply for words, and an anteater with his face turned toward them, dozing a little under his bandages. 

Max and Zinc were cheerful (Ultimate form was a neat thing!) but they had enough respect for their companions' grief to speak in subdued voices. After a while, however, the atmosphere reached even their carefree hearts, and Max climbed up on the bed with Talon, and Zinc leaned his gleaming head against Zephyer's leg. 

Talon was asleep by this time, and Knuckles had calmed and was again staring dully at the floor. Zephyer reached down and stroked her chao. "I'd better go now," she murmured. She rose, scooped up Zinc and left, opening the door a second to admit Chimera. 

Chimera paced to Knuckles, obviously trying to keep quiet, but his eyes were narrowed as he looked at Knuckles. "I heard there was a spy," he missed to his master. Knuckles nodded and added a shrug to show he didn't know anything. The red chao peered up at Max, who was sitting beside his master, watchfully. "I'll bet YOU'RE the spy." 

"You wish," Max whispered back. 

"I'll find out who it is," Chimera told Knuckles, patting his knee. "I'll have 'em run out of Knothole. Just wait." Then he left again, a chao with a mission. 

* * *

The spy was not located until weeks later, and under unfortunate circumstances. Subterran was the beginning of a run of failure for the Freedom Fighters. Slasher no longer took any part in mission planning; it seemed her spirit was broken, what with her wings being clipped and Chalcon regressing. Sally had relied on her for so long the squirrel had almost forgotten how to plan missions herself. 

But plan she did, with Sonic playing scout and Velocity contributing his almost uncanny tactical instincts. The blue chao could look at a map for a few moments, then tell you what areas made good defensive points, where the weak points in the enemy's flank were located, and what strategies they should employ. He was almost always right. 

The problem was, something almost always happened to foil the Freedom Fighters. A gate would be guarded where it had not been earlier; the biotics would change positions and dig in their line a mile away from where it had been before; a well-aimed laser blast would graze one of the group while they were setting explosives. The first few failures Sally counted as her fault, thinking there was something she had forgotten to factor into the planning. But as the number of failed missions mounted, she began to wonder if the rumor of a spy was true. The biotics were ready for them every single time. 

And still the Black Claw moved forward, unchecked. Their army was swelling, thousands of cities had fallen to them, and half a dozen countries. The army had split into segments; the small groups to occupy territory and build construction facilities, and the largest group to continue its conquest of the world. It you resisted them, you were butchered. If you surrendered, chances were that you would still be butchered. 

The Black Claw had so far left the lower Mobitropolis valley alone. Tails suggested wishfully that maybe the biotics were afraid to tangle with the gang who had recovered Riverbase. Sonic pointed out rather ironically that if the biotics wanted to flatten them, they could have a million times already. It was only a matter of time. And still the rumor and suspicion of a spy hung over them all. 

Knuckles returned to his island, leaving his chao and Talon in Knothole to be looked after. He had thought of some herbs he knew of that would help Talon recover faster, and as far as he knew, they only grew on the Floating Island. It was meant to be a trip of a few hours. It stretched into a week. 

When the echidna beamed down on the teleporter pad, he saw something like grey smoke hanging over the northern part of his island. He glided out to see what it was, and to his dismay he found a group of biotics clearing trees industriously for some sort of factory--construction materials were stacked nearby. The enraged guardian jumped in the middle of them, felled three and drove the rest into the forest. It took a week of fierce hunting to find them all, for they could hide like rats. They attacked him twice from behind, and only his steel knuclaws saved him. 

At last his island was free of 'robot trash', as he called it. Knuckles bade the Chaotix keep watch and call him if any more biotics appeared, gathered his herbs and returned to Knothole. 

The mood of the village was different. Knuckles found it odd as he walked through, a bundle of leaf clippings in one hand. People seemed tense, moved about in groups, talking in low voices, and jumped as he passed by. "Has there been some sort of attack?" he thought as he approached Talon's hut. And where were the chao? He hadn't seen the chao running around, as they usually did. Very strange. 

He pushed open Talon's door and entered. The anteater was propped up on pillows, a book face-down beside him and Max curled up on his lap. They looked up as he entered, both pairs of eyes bright. Were they afraid? "I brought you some haeleaf," Knuckles said, lifting the bundle for Talon to see. "Rub it into your skin and any bruise will be gone in twenty-four hours." 

Talon nodded, then said, almost reproachfully, "Why were you gone so long, sir? You could have kept it from happening." 

Knuckles froze, eyes locked on Talon's face. "Kept what from happening?" 

Talon looked at him a moment, as if thinking of how to put it into words. "Chimera heard Zinc talking to somebody on the radio and telling them what we were going to do on our next mission. Zephyer and Zinc got ran out of the village." 

Knuckles groped blindly for a chair and sat down, staring at nothing. "Zinc ...?" he said blankly. "Zinc was the one ...?" 

"That's what I thought, sir," said Talon emphatically. "No way! Zephyer either. She tried to stick up for him. I watched out my window. The funny thing is, none of the other chao are here. Sonic, Slasher, Tails and Serena went on a mission the day before it started, and they aren't back yet." 

Knuckles's hands knotted into fists. "If Chimera made it up--" 

Talon shook his head sadly. "They recorded the transmission from Rotor's receiver set. I heard it, too. You can't hear who Zinc is talking to, but he sure is giving out information." 

Knuckles groaned and slumped back in the chair. "This is wonderful. The biotics were trying to set up camp on the island, and I come back, and Zinc and Zephyer--" He broke off and his eyes widened. "Did you say they got ran out of the village?" 

Talon nodded, fingering one of Max's ears. "It was kind of a mob thing. Zephyer took Zinc and they ran for it." 

"When was this?" 

"The day before yesterday." 

The crimson echidna winced. "Two days. If they get snapped up by the biotics it'll be all over. If they tap their brains, Zinc can tell them all about a chao's stages, and Zephyer knows all sorts of stuff about the super emeralds." 

Talon pricked up his bandaged ears. "She does?" 

Knuckles nodded. "I let her read my books, because she wanted to know about echidna history ... the day we stormed Subterran." 

At this point the door opened and Chimera swaggered in, a smirk on his little chao face. "Yo, Knux," he said. "I caught the spies when you were gone. Not bad for a little chao, eh?" 

For a long moment, Knuckles debating kicking Chimera across the room. Instead he stepped around him without a word and left the hut. Chimera glared after him, hurt. "Not even a congrats!" he exclaimed in outrage. He glanced around and found Max's eyes upon him in disapproval. "What're you looking at, hockey puck?" Chimera snapped, and stalked out after Knuckles. 

* * *

The Freedom Fighters and their chao travelled on foot for two days, often at a run, toward a radar station of the biotics'. Their mission: to knock out communications. They hoped it would cripple this branch of the army, but it was hard to tell how the biotics maintained their neural network. 

It had not been difficult at first. Elleno crept off invisibly and made a ruckus to draw the guards' attention. When they stalked away to see what was going on, Sonic, Serena, Tails, Slasher and the two remaining chao slunk through the chainlink fence, around the corner and out of sight. 

The charges were set, and the group was waiting for Elleno to distract the guards again, when Velocity began to twitch. Sonic saw what was happening and wrapped his arms around the cheetah's neck. "Velos, don't listen to them!" he whispered. 

"They've got me, Sonic," Velocity whispered back, green eyes wide with terror. "I've got to get away from here. I think I'm going mad!" 

Tails and Serena grabbed on to Velocity. "No you don't!" whispered Serena fiercely, digging her fingers into the fur around his neck. "Fight 'em, Velos! Don't let 'em do this!" 

"You heard her!" said Pilot the purple chao, standing ready with her emerald in one hand. "Shush, or you'll give us away!" 

The cheetah was trembling all over by this time, his muscles tense and bulging as his claws gripped the ground. Sonic could feel it, too; that feeling best described as an odor, as if something unpleasant were worming its way into his brain. He clutched the cat harder. "Don't let 'em, Velocity, block them out, it's your mind!" 

"I can't!" Velocity screamed, and suddenly vanished out from under their hands. Sonic, Tails and Serena stumbled onto their hands and knees, and looked around for the cat in bewilderment. There was no time to search. Slasher, who had been standing at a distance, watching the guards, gave a soft, "Hsst!" They ran for it. 

But the guards had not gone far enough this time. As they dashed through the perimeter fence, silver shapes bore down on them, silent, red eyes shining with deadly hatred. 

Pilot sprang from Tails's side, no longer a filly, but a unicorn the size of a draft horse. Teeth bared, she galloped into the biotics, and a second later the robots were flying in all directions, some with shattered hulls from a powerful kick, others run through by the unicorn's horn and tossed like hay bales. "Go get 'em, Pilot!" Tails yelled, punching the air and slowing to watch. 

"Tails, you dope!" Serena cried, grabbing his hand. "Come on! You can watch her fight later!" Tails turned away obediently, but Serena looked at the skirmish in time to see a biotic collapse with an arrow through its middle, and Elleno spring to Pilot, an arrow on the string and a laser burn on her white helmet. Serena tore her eyes away with an effort and concentrated on reaching safety with Tails in tow. 

The hedgehog and fox fled down a hill and into the cover of a stand of pines, which served as their rendezvous point. To their surprise, they found Sonic and Slasher waiting for them, with Velocity the cheetah sitting on his haunches, head hanging. 

"I'm such a coward," Velocity whimpered. "I escaped and let you fend for yourselves. Sonic, I'm not fit to be your chao." 

"I want to know how you disappeared," Sonic said, slapping his cat on the back. "You turn into a light particle or something?" 

Velocity peered out of the trees, then up at his companions and master. "I have the wrong emerald, too," he said wearily, as if it were a secret he had kept for a long time. "I can teleport. I did it to get away from the biotics. I'm sorry." 

Sonic's mind raced back to the night where Velocity had vanished from his bed without a sound. He had teleported in his sleep! His mind backtracked still further, to when Metal Sonic had carried the dark blue chaos emerald in his engine, and used it to teleport. Of course! The dark blue had that power in it! So the orange chaos emerald could make you invisible ... what did the rest do? 

Sonic's nostalgia was interrupted as Elleno and Pilot swept down the hill, Elleno astride the now-filly. The two were panting, but triumphant. "Blow it up!" Elleno called. "Everyone's safe now!" 

Sonic pulled out the detonator switch, looked around to make sure everyone was present, then pressed it. Everyone covered their ears as the charges boomed in the distance, but no one noticed Slasher wince. It was the same type of detonator Knuckles had pressed--at her bidding--and nearly killed Talon. 

As they journeyed homeward, Slasher and Pilot carrying the others on their backs, Elleno said, "You know, I hope my Ultimate form has wings. This stupid jetpack doesn't cut the mustard." 

"Would you be robotic?" asked Serena. 

Elleno looked up at her. "Not necessarily. I have armor, not metal parts. Well, the jetpack, but mostly I'm armored. I want to be something with wings and armor." She sighed, and for a while there was no sound but the clop of Pilot's hooves and the almost inaudible pad of Slasher's feet. Then Elleno touched her head and murmured, "I'd be dead if not for my armor." Serena saw that the chao was rubbing the spot where the armor was burned in large form, and hugged her tight. 

* * *

The sun sank from the sky. The Freedom Fighters and chao were working their way home, slowed by Slasher's handicap. It would be another day's journey before they reached Knothole. And in the Great Forest, Knuckles was moving swiftly on the trail of Zephyer and Zinc. 

The pair appeared to have headed east at a tremendous pace. Every so often the tracks would change to a single pair for a mile or two. Knuckles guessed Zinc grew tired and Zephyer carried him. 

Daylight began to fade, and the terrain became rocky and uneven. The trail became sparse, and Knuckles was forced to slow and cast about. It appeared his quarry had also wandered aimlessly, looking for ways over and around the rocks and trees. 

At last it was too dark to see anymore. Knuckles was determined not to lose the trail, and besides, he was used to sleeping out. He cracked some pinenuts, gathered some watercress from a stream, then climbed a tree and slept in the fork of some branches, his knuclaws dug into the bark to hold him there. 

The echidna was on the move before sunup the next morning. He hoped they had stopped for the night somewhere, so he could narrow their lead by a few hours. Could they travel all night? He thought of Zephyer, and that cold-blooded part of her that surfaced when there was a battle or danger at hand. He wouldn't put it past her to travel all night. She would protect Zinc to the death, innocent or guilty. Clan loyalty, he supposed. 

But as the miles passed, the sun climbed noonward and the trail slowly freshened, Knuckles found himself marvelling at her loyalty. They had indeed travelled all night the first night; he found no evidence of a camp. They were still headed east, and as the terrain levelled, he knew their speed would increase. Ah, but they wouldn't cross the canyon so easily. Perhaps he could narrow their lead there. 

The canyon sent his spirits to an all-time low. They had crossed it, all right. They had descended one side, hiked across the bottom, and climbed the far wall. The trail on the other side was already a day old. How could they travel like that? For a sour moment he wished the river still flowed down this channel and had cut them off, but it had been dammed years ago. He glided across it, glad he wasn't bound to foot alone, and continued on the trail. 

Why was he tracking them like this? Zephyer obviously wanted to get away as soon as possible. Was it because Zinc was innocent? The proof said otherwise. Did he think Zinc was innocent? He didn't know what to think. It was just so staggering that Zinc, loyal, courageous Zinc, was a traitor ... Was it because of Zephyer? He felt his face grow warm at the thought."I don't even like her," he thought. A little voice somewhere in the back of his mind replied, "You do, too." 

"Well, okay, I like her," Knuckles admitted, "but as a person." 

"She being an echidna has nothing to do with it?" 

"Maybe a little." 

"She being a female echidna has nothing to do with it?" 

"Not a thing! It'd be no different if it were Serena or somebody." 

"Would it? Wouldn't it be simpler to let Sonic do your tracking? He can run much faster than you." 

"Sonic wasn't there when I left." 

"But he could catch them within a few hours. Why do all this if you didn't care deeply what happened to Zephyer and her chao?" 

Knuckles had no answer for that. The fact was, he had observed something in Zephyer that surprised him--something soft and fragile as a rose in the midst of the thorns she had woven about herself. He had glimpsed her tenderness toward Zinc, and realized for the first time that her stubbornness and short temper were not the real Zephyer. She wore it like metal over her heart. 

And so the echidna put his head down and ran, and the sun beat down on the forest.


	12. Chapter 12

Sonic and the rest of the group arrived home that evening, tired and dusty from the unaccustomed group travel. They had hardly dismounted from Pilot and Slasher when Chimera appeared in large form, hungry for praise. Again he was disappointed. He received incredulous looks, gasps and exclamations of, "Zinc was the leak all along? I don't believe it! Where are they?" 

The party moved off, leaving Chimera glaring after them indignantly. "Horrible reception!" he spat, breathing puffs of flame on every exhalation. He was beginning to wonder at the wisdom of pointing out Zinc as the spy, although he was sure he was right. Suddenly he missed Knuckles with a pang. Knuckles was angry with him, too. 

Chimera was stubborn. He gave the patient sigh of a martyr and paced after the newcomers. He was right, that was all. And if it was his best friend among the chao who was responsible for making them lose all those missions and forcing Max to go to Ultimate and become a hero, then so be it. 

* * *

Slasher lay on the pallet in her hut, eyes closed. The big raptor appeared to be sleeping, but in reality she was wide awake, painfully awake. Chalcon's egg lay between her forepaws for company. At times like these she missed his bright intelligence, his marvelous brain. 

The newcomers had listened to the recording of Zinc by this time. The chao's voice had been innocent enough, with none of the secret hatred the Freedom Fighters expected. But the fact remained that he was giving a blow-by-blow description of their next planned mission to a weapons factory. 

Slasher intended to join Knuckles in a search for Zephyer and Zinc, but not yet. She was still tired from their journey, and she needed to think. One rough clawed hand stroked the eggshell delicately. "Chal," she muttered, "Zinc has been leaking information for weeks. But he has always defended Zephyer with his life. He hates the biotics. It doesn't make sense, and I wish you were still here." The raptor gave a deep sigh and shifted positions a fraction. It was no good talking to the chao. He couldn't hear her. She directed her questions instead to the One who always heard and understood. 

At last she rose wearily and returned Chalcon's egg to its pan of warm water. Time to eat, give Chimera a scolding, then set out after Knuckles on the trail of the missing girl and chao. 

* * *

Talon had been napping all afternoon, and Max had played on his bed by himself. But for a few moments, as Talon lingered between sleeping and waking, his partially-opened eyes showed him that it was not Max sitting on his bed, but Kit. 

The anteater sat up with a jerk, eyes snapping into focus. Max looked up at him startled, and the hut was empty. "Did you see Kit?" Talon gasped, clutching the blankets. He was so busy staring into the corners of the room that he missed the guilty look on Max's face. "Nobody's been here all day," said Max, examining the back of a flipper. 

Talon's heart rate was descending back into its normal range. "Maybe I was dreaming," he said, drawing a few deep breaths. "Must have been the light or something. I thought I saw Kit in here." 

"Really?" asked Max, all wide-eyed innocence. "But Mr. Nash said he'd kill him if he ever came back." 

Talon nodded and rubbed the side of his head, which was as close as he could get to his ears. They were throbbing dully from the adrenaline rush. "I wish Knuckles were here," he muttered. 

* * *

Sonic sat on a patch of grass beside his hut, gnawing his fourth chilidog. Velocity had just finished his second one and was licking sauce off his chao paws. The two watched as Slasher walked past, buckling a travelling pack onto her back. "Where're you going, Slash?" Sonic called foggily with his mouth full. 

"I'm going after Knuckles," she said, fumbling with a buckle. "Zinc and Zephyer shouldn't have been banished, because we can't question them." She shot an icy glance over her wing at Chimera, who quickly slunk out of sight, head down. "I should be back in time for the Tuesday mission," she continued, shrugging to settle her pack into a comfortable position. "Change the water in Chalcon's pan for me, will you, Sonic?" The hedgehog nodded, then waved goodbye as the raptor paced away in the direction of the forest. 

"Hey Sonic," said Velocity, cocking his head, "how long has it been since Chalcon regressed?" 

"Three weeks, give or take," Sonic replied, twisting his head sideways to catch a drip of sauce on his wrist. "Why?" 

"Chalcon told me it takes twenty-five days to incubate a chao egg. I think that was the number, anyway. Do you think he'll hatch soon?" 

Sonic stroked his look-alike chao and smiled. "That'd be cool, wouldn't it? Slash would be happy again. Do chao die?" 

"I think so," said Velocity, looking puzzled. "I've never heard of any thousand-year-old chao. Then again, I've never met ANY other chao." He looked so downhearted at this that Sonic patted him on the head. "There's tons of chao, Velos. They sent you to us from Sapphire City, where they raise 'em." 

The blue chao pricked up his hedgehog-ish ears. "Really? I'd like to meet some." 

"I'll take you down there someday," said Sonic, stacking their plates. "C'mon, race you to the kitchen." 

* * *

Three days passed. Chalcon's egg did not hatch, the weather was clear and warm, and Talon kept dreaming there were strangers in his hut. 

Kit never rematerialized, but half the village appeared in the room when the anteater was beginning to doze. There was never anything there when he awoke. He told no one, but it was beginning to frighten him. Had his ears damaged his brain in some way? They did not pain him much anymore, and his head felt perfectly normal. Maybe you felt fine when you were going insane. How he wished Knuckles would return! He was afraid to tell anyone else for fear of what they might think. After all, he had had a concussion. And so he said nothing, not even to Max. 

Monday night, Slasher returned, moving stiffly and wearily, wings drooping. Knuckles sat on her back, head hanging. They had lost the trail. It had simply ended in a clearing, and there were no more footprints, no scent, nothing. They had cast about, called, looked in all the trees, but to no avail. "It's like they grew wings and flew away," said Slasher glumly. "I doubt even biotics could have taken them without leaving some sort of trace behind." 

"Or Zinc went to Ultimate and wings of some kind," Knuckles offered. Slasher grudgingly nodded. That was a possibility as well. 

They had been forced to return home, unable to search any more, and Slasher fumed again over her clipped wings. They entered the sleeping village quietly, dejected and grim. "Mission tomorrow," Slasher muttered. "Think you'll go?" 

Knuckles shrugged. "Might as well. It'll give Chimera something to do. I hate this stupid war. None of this would have happened otherwise." 

"I know," Slasher growled. "Here's your hut. Goodnight." 

The echidna slid off and winced as his cramped feet struck the ground. "Thanks. Goodnight, Slash." 

The big raptor walked to her own hut and took off her travelling pack, checked Chalcon's egg and water, found it clean, took out the egg and curled up with it. She still missed her chao. She also missed the faintest of purrs from inside the shell as she tucked it under her wing. 

* * *

The next morning, as the Freedom Fighters prepared for their mission, Talon left his hut for the first time since Subterran's demise and found Knuckles. 

The echidna listened gravely as the anteater poured out his fears that he was going mad. When he finished, Talon looked at him woefully. "Do you think it's serious, sir?" 

Knuckles looked at him for a long moment without expression, then asked, "How're your ears, Tal?" 

The anteater pulled the loosely-wrapped bandage off his head. "Sally took out the cotton, and they only hurt when I get excited." 

Knuckles looked him in the eye. "Feel up to coming with us on the mission today? I think you've been sitting around long enough." 

Talon's face lit like a jack o' lantern. "Really sir? You want me to come?" 

"Of course." The echidna resumed sharpening his shovel claws. "Leave Max here, though. We'll be a long way away from water. It's a factory, we're stealing weapons, and once we get what we need, it'll be everyone for himself until we get out. Max can't run very fast." 

Talon nodded. "I'll tell him, he won't mind." He was looking healthier by the minute. "Did you find Zephyer?" 

Knuckles shook his head without looking up. "Lost the trail." 

"Oh." Talon looked down for a moment. "Don't worry, sir, I'm sure she's all right." He seemed about to add something else, but changed his mind and walked out. 

* * *

Zephyer had taken Zinc in her arms and fled from Knothole, the angry voices in her ears, Chimera snapping at her heels and breathing jets of flame to goad her on. Zinc looked over her shoulder and shouted at the dragon, promising revenge and destruction when they returned. Zephyer yanked him down. "What are you doing? They might as well kill us already!" Zinc blinked at her with his black eyes, then said, "Sorry." Chimera, at any rate, had stopped chasing them. 

The echidna ran until her strength gave out. She left the trail and sprawled on the grass beside it, gasping for breath. "Zinc, where will we go?" she said between breaths. "We can't go to the Freedom Fighters! Are you really a spy?" This last was added with fierce anger. 

Zinc stood beside her, a little chao with a sober expression. "Zephyer," he said, choosing his words carefully, "I have not betrayed the Freedom Fighters and I never will." 

"But you were on the radio! They taped you!" 

"I know that," said the silver chao, still speaking slowly. "But it's not what you think. Zephyer, please, you have to trust me." 

"Trust you?" said Zephyer, sitting up, eyes like blue ice. "I trusted you, Zinc, and look where we are. If we were under echidna law, you would have been cut in pieces and I would be awaiting trial for treason. Do you understand me? With as much proof as they have, you would have been executed!" Her voice cracked with anger. 

Zinc's expression did not change. "I know that," he said. "I would never lie to you, Zephyer. I had nothing to do with the loss of Subterran. I had nothing to do with the other missions we lost. You must believe me, Zephyer, it's the truth." 

She looked at him, eyes flaming and lips pressed in a thin line. "Okay," she said after a long pause. "You've never lied to me before, I'll give you credit for that." She stood up and brushed grass from her metal. 

"But where will we go?" she added a moment later. "I don't know this area. Would anybody feed a couple of outcasts?" 

"I know a place we could go," said Zinc. "It's a long way from here, though, due east. We'll have to go fast in case Chimera decides we weren't chased enough." 

Zephyer picked up Zinc and began to walk in an easterly direction. "Faster," he urged her. 

"I can't run very long," she said. "You want me to run?" 

"No, just walk. Here, put me down." She did, and Zinc bit his emerald and grew to large form. He took her hand and began to roll along at a tremendous pace. 

For a while Zephyer matched strides with him, but gradually she began to falter. "Either I'm in really bad shape or you're a real robot," she panted. "Hold up a minute, I need to rest." 

"No," said Zinc, looking up at the sun. "We haven't gone far enough. Here, I'll carry you." He scooped her up in his arms with iron strength and walked on. 

"Where are we going?" Zephyer asked dubiously. 

"Somewhere safe, and we're getting away from Knothole," Zinc replied. "That's all." 

They passed the day that way, Zinc carrying Zephyer whenever she tired. Toward evening they came to a rough, rocky area. The two picked their way through the rocks and trees for several hours. Once they gained the level ground beyond, Zinc again carried Zephyer, and it was night. She managed to doze in his arms, weary from the excitement of the day. If she had not been robotized she would have found her chao's arms and stride uncomfortable, but her metal protected her. 

They reached the canyon at midnight, and the moon was well up. Zinc gently woke her and showed her where they were. They would have to climb down and up the other side to cross it. Zephyer, refreshed from her nap, was game, and they tried it. 

It was a long, dark, dangerous trek, but in the end they stood on the far side of the canyon, gazing triumphantly back at the setting moon. "We did it," said Zephyer, shaking dust out of the joints in her fingers. "I'm bushed, Zinc. Can we stop somewhere?" 

"I think we should keep going," said Zinc. "I'll carry you again." By this time Zephyer was beginning to think like a fugitive and agreed. 

She looked up at the stars for a long time as Zinc walked, so distant and peaceful. The moon had finally set. It was the darkest part of the night, and the stars were brilliant. She found herself wondering if those stars looked down on anyone who thought her and Zinc were innocent. Then she wondered if Zinc WAS innocent, and if so, where he was taking her. He sure seemed in a hurry to get there. 

She was awakened by Zinc setting her down near a stream. "Thirsty?" he asked, and drank, himself. She drank, too, the water awakening a vicious hunger. She hadn't eaten in twenty-four hours at least; the sun was already an hour in the sky. She knew it was fruitless to ask for anything to eat, for they were carrying nothing with them. Zinc had to be hungry, too, but he said nothing of it. "Come on," he said as she finished. "We need to get a move on." 

That day was a repeat of the day before. Zephyer walked until she couldn't take another step, then Zinc carried her. They did not stop. Whatever destination Zinc had in mind, he was wasting no time in getting there. Zephyer found herself wondering what his body was mode of. Was there blood and muscle under the chao's gleaming exterior, or cogs and wires? He didn't know, himself. Chao were strange things. 

Night fell, and still they journeyed on. Zephyer sank into sleep in his arms, and awoke only once. That once was to realize that Zinc had finally worn himself out, and was making a bed for her out of dry leaves. She felt him pile the leaves over her, then sleep claimed her for the rest of the night. 

She awoke the next morning, aware of the blissful sensation of lying still. Sleeping on the ground was definitely better than sleeping while somebody carried you, no matter how gentle they were. Zinc was chao size again, curled up almost under her head, burrowed into the leaves for warmth. She sat up gingerly, picking leaves out of her hair. Suddenly she froze and gasped. 

There was a low bank a few feet away with tree roots growing out of it. Standing atop this bank was a figure with its back to the sun, holding a gun of some sort to its shoulder. 

Carefully she raised her hands. "Who are you?" barked a rough male voice. 

"I'm Zephyer, a F-Freedom Fighter," said the echidna, stumbling a little over the title. Should she add she was fleeing them? Probably not. 

"Really," said the figure. "I thought all the Freedom Fighters had fallen to the Black Claw." 

Was he baiting her? "No, we haven't," she said simply. "Who are YOU? Do YOU work for the Black Claw?" No harm in asking, he probably thought she was a biotic anyway. 

"I work for no one," said the figure. She wished she could see him better, without blinking into the sun. "Get up." He jerked his gun barrel up, and she stood up. Fortunately for her, Zinc chose that moment to yawn and sit up. The figure saw him. "Is that your chao?" 

"Yeah." 

The figure lowered the gun. "Speak up about these things in the future, girl," he growled. 

Zinc, meanwhile, was brushing himself off, quite unperturbed by the visitor. He did not even acknowledge his presence until the figure stepped down the bank, feet crunching loudly in the leaves. Then Zinc looked up, innocently. "Hello," he said, climbing to his feet. "I'm Zinc. Who are you?" 

The stranger looked at the silver chao for a long moment, then sideyed Zephyer. "O'Heathe," he said. "Robert O'Heathe." He clicked the safety on his gun and let it hang on a strap at his side. 

All this time Zephyer had been staring at O'Heathe's face. At first glance she looked like an echidna, as he had dreadlocks and a heavy, echidna forelock. He even had the customary fastener rings on his dreadlocks. But his face was what boggled the eye. His muzzle was much too broad and flat, his eyes too high and too small. He looked like an echidna with human features. Or a human with echidna features. 

"What are you?" she asked hesitantly, wondering if he would take offense at the question. 

He looked at her for a second with those strange eyes, then at Zinc. "What're you doing out here?" He wasn't going to answer her. 

Zephyer didn't know how to explain that they had been thrown out of Knothole, but while she was fumbling for words, Zinc said it for her. "We got thrown out of Knothole," he said with a chao shrug. "They accused me of being a spy." 

"Really." O'Heathe seemed unimpressed. He looked at Zephyer, taking in her robotized body. "You must be pretty important to have a metallic chao." 

"Well, really," she said, wishing he would stop fondling his gun, "he's a mutant. I just take care of him." 

"Mutant my foot," O'Heathe spat. "Metallic chao are rare and extremely valuable. Only royalty usually have metallic chao." Here he pursed his lips and gave a warbling whistle. It was answered by another whistle a short distance away, and a chao stepped out of the bushes at the top of the bank. 

Zephyer and Zinc stared. This chao was a beautiful gleaming gold. Its eyes were not negatized as Zinc's were, but protruding from its head were two horns like a bull's. It looked down at them wisely, then slid down the bank and moved up to stand at O'Heathe's ankle. The pseudo-echidna spoke to it, and Zephyer thought she heard him call it "ball-lukes". "What's it's name?" she asked. 

"Ballux," said O'Heathe. "Gold-dust." 

"Are you royalty?" Zinc asked. 

"Heck no," said O'Heathe. "I picked up Ballux in South Mobius years ago." 

Ballux walked up to Zinc, and the two chao began to talk in hushed voices. Zephyer had the odd feeling that these three knew each other somehow. O'Heathe moved a step closer and spoke, distracting her attention from the chao. "Listen, you and your chao are being followed. Take this and spray it on your feet. You won't leave footprints or scent." He handed her a small unmarked spraycan. "Do it now," he said. "You must leave at once. I'll escort you a little way." 

Surprised, Zephyer sprayed her steel feet liberally with the stuff. It had no odor, and she had a feeling it was only water. 

"That's enough," said O'Heathe, and he took the bottle from her. He sprayed his boots, then called his chao. Ballux paced to him, and he picked him up. "Come on," he said, and walked away. 

Bewildered, Zephyer picked up Zinc and followed him. "Who is this guy?" she whispered. 

"He's a bounty hunter," Zinc whispered back. "He's been hired for somebody big; Robotnik or one of the Mecha bots. He won't say." 

"What is he?" 

"He's an experiment gone wrong," Zinc explained with a look in the stranger's direction. "Years and years ago there were these scientists who wanted to combine the strength and longevity of echidnas with humans. So they did all these illegal DNA experiments and actually produced some cross-breeds. Most of them had underdeveloped brains or something, but a few turned out and demanded they be released from the lab. Then something happened--a sting operation or something, but anyway, they all got released. They look so weird Mobians won't have anything to do with them, and neither will humans. But they're real tough and live practically forever. O'Heathe's in his fifties." 

"That gold chao told you all that?" Zephyer asked in amazement. 

For an instant, Zinc looked sickeningly guilty. "Nash told me about him," he said quickly, and the guilty look vanished at once. 

Zephyer's eyes narrowed. "Why--" 

"You, Zephyer," called the bounty hunter from up ahead, "Catch up or I'll leave you behind." 

Distracted for the moment, Zephyer hurried to catch up with O'Heathe. "Stay with me, miss," he said warningly. "You're not my prisoner, but you're not a friend, either. Keep up." Embarrassed, the echidna obeyed and didn't speak to Zinc again. 

They walked for hours. O'Heathe did not travel as fast as Zinc did, but she still felt how tired of walking she was. They did not speak to each other, but she was aware he was watching her, and so was Ballux. 

They were in the foothills of the Dark Mountains by this time, and the going was rough. Their final sprint was across an open hillside, the two of them painfully aware that Zephyer's metal body was reflecting the sunlight from every joint. Then they ducked into a shallow ravine, and there was a little camp. 

"Rest," O'Heathe commanded. "They won't find you here." 

Zephyer say down gratefully on a rock, and set down Zinc. Ballux, too had been set down, the two chao exchanged a few hushed words. Then the gold chao murmured the the bounty hunter, who handed a couple cans of something to Zinc. Zinc carried them at a run toward Zephyer. "Tuna!" the chap panted, thrusting a can into her hands. "I'm starved! Can you open it? I can't do it unless I go to large form, and I don't want them to know I can." 

The two devoured the tuna straight from the cans, and later smeared it on crackers. Zephyer felt her energy flooding back, and wondered how she had come so far on an empty belly. The sun was brighter, the grass was almost the same gold as Ballux, the earth was red and yellow, and O'Heathe's dreadlocks were a vivid purple. How had she missed noticing his hair color? Purple was a complete anomaly among echidnas. 

Ballux hung around them, watching Zephyer soundlessly. He was so pretty Zephyer had to speak to him. She found him as aloof as his master. "How long have you been with Mr. O'Heathe?" 

The chao looked at her from under his horns and said in a surprisingly low voice, "Ten years. I go everywhere with him." He tilted his head in such a way as to make Zephyer wonder if this gold chao was as fierce a fighter as Zinc. "I was stolen once," Ballux went on, looking at Zinc now. "I'd bring a high price on the black market. You would, too." 

"I'd rip a kidnapper's arms off," Zinc said, baring his teeth at the thought. "How'd you get away?" 

"I broke the lock with one of my horns and got our of my cage," said the gold chao. "Then O'Heathe found me, and we hunted down the kidnappers." There was no need for him to say what fate the kidnappers had suffered--the glint in his auburn eyes was enough. 

Ballux picked up their empty tuna cans and carefully stacked them. "You will remain with us until nightfall," he said as he worked. "The ones following you will not find you then." Ballux looked at Zinc and said something so softly that Zephyer barely caught it. "Have you told her where you're going?" 

"Not yet," Zinc whispered back. "Hush." Then both metallic chao looked at Zephyer and smiled winningly. 

Zinc did not tell her where they were going until they arrived, and it was a horrible shock.


	13. Chapter 13

The weapons factory had once been a parts manufacturing plant before the Black Claw captured it. It stood amidst the captured city of Silvaline, a racket of machinery coming from it and its outbuildings, a cloud of smoke rising from its chimneys. It was encircled by two fences; one studded with razor wire, the other electrified. It was as hard to penetrate as Cragclaw. 

Which was why the Freedom Fighters were inside it. 

The operation proceeded like a game of chess. First Velocity teleported through the fences, carrying Elleno the chao in his mouth. Once they were inside, she went to large form, became invisible and drew the guards' attention by kicking over a stack of oil cans. When they departed to investigate, Velocity slipped into the guardhouse and opened the outer gates. Tails, Knuckles, Sonic, Serena, Talon and Slasher bolted through in pairs. Once they were inside, they split into two groups and set off in opposite directions. 

In some ways it was more dangerous than a sabotage run. There were no charges to set, but when the signal was given, everyone would be escaping with armloads of bulky, heavy weapons. 

Sonic, Tails and Slasher were after handheld explosives. They had nearly depleted their supply of detonator charges with their last mission to the radar station. They made for warehouse 32b, which housed the explosives. Pilot and Velocity quietly took out the guards, Velocity twitching and gasping until the guards shorted out. Then they entered a passcode provided them by Sally, and slipped into the dark, cool warehouse. 

Knuckles, Serena and Talon headed in the opposite direction, toward warehouse 148, where more conventional weapons were stored. Chimera and Elleno took out the guards--Chimera as violently as possible--and stood watch while Knuckles entered the passcode given him. The door clicked open, and they slipped inside. 

The weapons were packed in boxes and stacked according to build. There were four kinds of blasters here; L-80s, L.22s, B9s and LR2CCs, the latter called, in layman's terms, a 'sniper rifle'. 

Talon pulled out a list and read from it as casually as if they were standing in a grocery store. "Five L-80s, nine L.22s, a sniper rifle, and two thousand rounds of sniper ammunition." 

"Who gets the rifle, I wonder?" Chimera said, leaping to the top of a stack of boxes and lifting one down to Knuckles. 

"We need one for our next mission," Serena said, opening her backpack and stacking in boxes of rifle bullets. "Talon, get the pistols." 

The three Mobians and two chao worked fast, packing their backpacks with weapons, stopping every few minutes to listen for trouble. So far all was quiet. 

Knuckles was shouldering his now-heavy pack and watching the others prepare to depart, when he heard metallic footsteps crunching on the gravel outside. "Hide," he whispered. The five scattered to the mountains of boxes. 

The big door rolled open a few feet, and two biotics entered, carrying a wooden crate between them. They set it down against the wall and looked around suspiciously, red eyes casting a faint light into the gloom. Why were biotics so suspicious? Serena wondered. She was crouched between two walls of boxes near the far wall, hidden neatly from view, but she was still nervous. Somehow biotics always knew you were there. Any minute now and those menacing footsteps would approach, and she would look up into the blank demonic face of a biotic ... 

The door rattled shut and the two robots walked away. 

The Freedom Fighters breathed a sigh of relief and emerged from hiding. Knuckles, who had been nearest the crate the biotics left, was the first to reach it. "Careful!" Elleno warned him, dropping from the rafters. "Is it ticking?" 

"No," said Knuckles. "I'm pretty sure it's some more weapons. Hang on, I want to look." 

"He's as bad as Sonic," Serena muttered to Talon as the echidna's shovelclaws split the wood. 

"Worse," Talon replied softly. "He's stronger and meaner than Sonic." Serena held her hands over her mouth to stifle a giggle. 

Chimera had no reservations about opening an unsolicited box, and lent his claws to Knuckles's to rip the crate open. It was packed with plastic, and a sheet of metal lay across the top. Knuckles lifted it, and found another sheet of metal. In fact, that was all the box contained; sheets of metal a little thicker than construction paper. 

"Bummer," said Chimera, losing interest at once. "Let's go." 

Then the alarms went off. 

* * *

Sonic, Tails and Slasher had carefully transferred a hundred pounds of various explosive materials to their packs, careful to pack each layer carefully in the styrofoam from the boxes. "If somebody gets shot, it's over," said Pilot. "You guys are walking landmines." 

"Well," said Tails without looking up, "it's your job to make sure we don't." 

Velocity was pacing back and forth in cheetah form, ears twitching back and forth as he listened for danger. He was nervous, but he was always nervous on missions now. He heard the two biotics walk by on their way to warehouse 148, but they posed no threat to his team, so he said nothing. 

He had calmed with relief when the team got ready to go, and was sitting beside Sonic, panting like a dog, when the alarms went off. 

"Run for it!" Slasher yelled over the wailing of the sirens. Sonic sprang for the door, heaved it open, grabbed Tails's hand, and dashed away, their chao in hot pursuit. Slasher followed them, peering about for attack. Biotics were swarming in the distance, but there were still a few seconds before they were close enough to fire. 

They arrived at the gate at the same time as the other team. Serena and Talon were staggering under bulging backpacks, Elleno was lugging Knuckles's, and Knuckles was hauling a cumbersome metal plate that banged against his legs as he ran. "Open the gates!" Knuckles cried. Velocity sprang into the guardhouse. A second later the inner and outer gates snapped open, and the Freedom Fighters swarmed through. Velocity flew out of the guardhouse as if he had been kicked, stumbled, then roared after them, his jets spurting blue fire. He was moving so fast he knocked someone down coming out the last gate. The cheetah looked back to see who it had been, and saw Sonic bound to his feet just as the gates closed automatically. 

Sonic almost grabbed the fence and vaulted over, but remembered in time that it was electrified. He stood, panting, watching his friends retreat to safety in the distance, and hearing behind him the running footsteps of the Black Claw. He looked over his shoulder through the inner fence, and saw them coming, silent, intelligent, and deadly. If they shot him, he was carrying a load of explosives on his back. "Velocity!" the hedgehog cried. "They're not gonna take me again!" 

The cheetah chao was coming back, his eyes wild with terror, but loyalty beating out his fear momentarily. "Sonic!" he yelled through the fence. "Use your belt!" 

In desperation, Sonic did, and nothing happened. "It doesn't work!" yelled the hedgehog. "I've got to jump it!" He ran back to the razor-wire fence and turned. Ten feet. He couldn't build enough speed in ten feet. 

"No!" cried the cheetah, almost sobbing. "It's ten thousand volts! It'll kill you!" 

"I'd rather be dead than a biotic," Sonic replied, crouching and digging himself starting blocks in the dirt. "I might survive, you never know." 

"Don't do it, I will!" screamed the cat, and began to grow. His body lengthened, his forelimbs armored over, his jetpacks fused into one, his hindquarters went metallic. Ten feet long and five feet tall at the shoulder, Velocity the ultimate chao stared through the fence at Sonic. "Stand back," the robot beast commanded. He ripped through the fence with one paw like a cat shredding tissue paper. His claws were enormous. Sparks flew from the fence, and the broken wire arcked as it struck the ground with deafening white explosions. 

Sonic didn't wait. Already lasers were raining past him. He ducked through the writhing wires and burning sparks, arms shielding his face, and ran with a speed Velocity would scarcely match. 

In the few seconds it took Sonic to rejoin the team, Velocity had returned to his original cheetah-sized form. They wasted no time in getting out of there. 

* * *

"Boy, we could have used Zinc," said Serena, rubbing her shoulders. "He could have helped carry stuff." 

It was late afternoon, and the Freedom Fighters were back in Knothole, safe. Their spoil was being sorted and catalogued in the community hut, but Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails were examining the metal plate Knuckles had swiped. Serena sat near them, looking on in idle curiosity. All the chao were off somewhere, being fed. 

"I know," said Sonic, digging his fingers into the grass and watching Knuckles tilt the plate to catch the light. "Zephyer, too. We could have got a lot more stuff." A sigh escaped the hedgehog. He wasn't sure he believed the spy story, but he missed Zephyer and Zinc just the same. 

"Well, they're gone now," said Tails, scraping a corner of the plate with a screwdriver. "I'd go after them in the biplane, but I doubt I could spot them in the trees." 

"And they may not want to be found at all," said Knuckles said, closing one eye and looking at the plate edge-on. "Do you think Sally would let us use Nicole?" 

"She's still counting our loot," Sonic replied. "She said she'll be out when she's done." 

"This has got to be biometal," said Tails, looking at the end of his screwdriver. "It tore the heck out of this thing. Why in the world would they put raw metal in a weapon warehouse, anyway?" 

"That's just it," said Knuckles, flipping his dreadlocks out of his face. "I don't think this is raw metal. I think it's some kind of weapon." 

"Yeah, a tracking device," said Serena. "Didn't the alarms go off when you opened the crate?" 

"No," said Knuckles, "they went off after we had went through it and were on our way out." 

"I'd still like to know how they figured out we were there," said Sonic. "We even changed the mission plan. I didn't see any cameras. Do you think they saw the guards we trashed?" 

"Maybe," said Knuckles. "We hid ours inside the warehouse, though." 

"We did, too," said Tails, nodding. 

"Wouldn't it be rich if the spy was still here?" Sonic asked. 

"Ooo, don't even say it," said Serena. "Chimera will get wind of it and pin the blame on somebody else." 

Knuckles appeared to ignore them and continue his observations of the plate, but he had turned quite pale. 

Sonic stared at the plate for a moment, his eyes taking on a glazed look, as they often had when he was recovering from mental conditioning. After a moment he blinked and said, "Lemme see the plate, Knux." The echidna handed it to him, and the hedgehog held it up. "I remember them talking about some weapon they had," he muttered, half to himself. "Some molecular metal-plus something." He placed his hand in the middle of the plate and pressed. Nothing happened. He turned it around and pressed the other side. 

To the amazement of all present, the hedgehog's hand melted through the solid metal as if it wee molasses, emerging on the other side as the tip of a gun barrel. Sonic kept pushing. The barrel continued to emerge in place of his hand and arm, and the plate began to shrink. By the time it reached his shoulder, the plate had become a small square frill, and in place of an arm, Sonic had a massive, heavy, mech-type energy cannon. He could barely lift it, let alone hold it steady. 

"Don't you DARE fire that in the village, Sonic Hedgehog," said Serena bossily, hands on her hips. 

"Don't worry," Sonic grunted, letting the muzzle rest on the ground. "It's got some controls in here by my fingers." 

"Can you take it off?" Tails asked, worried. "Maybe it's like a robotizer or something!" In response, Sonic grabbed the square frill at his shoulder and began to pull his arm out. The blaster melted back into a square plate, and Sonic's hand emerged, unharmed. "Biotic upgrades," he said, shaking his arm and handing the plate back to Knuckles. The echidna looked down at the plate, then up at Sonic. "Whoa," he said simply. 

* * *

While this was going on, Slasher had entered her hut with some sheets of paper to help plan the next mission. Her eyes, as usual, sought out the pan of water with Chalcon's egg in it. She froze. The egg was gone. 

Actually, the egg was still there, the shell floating in fragments in the water, but there was no chao. "Chalcon," she called gently, setting down her paper. "Where are you?" She sniffed the air. Chalcon was here, all right, but his scent was faint. He was probably asleep somewhere. 

The big raptor searched her hut, sniffing, listening, looking under the sparse furniture, stepping delicately, as if afraid he might step on him. It was several minutes before she located the chao, curled up in the blankets on her bed. His innocent eyes were open, following her as she called him. She she found him, he sat up and smiled. To all appearances, he was a normal chao, no scars, nothing. Only the dark blue eyes were Chalcon's, glowing with muted intelligence and love. "It's good to see you again, Chal," she murmured to him, and carried him away to find some food. 

* * *

At that moment, Zephyer was sitting inside a prison cell, head resting on her metal arms. She stared into space, unblinking. She scarcely breathed. She was in complete shock. 

The previous night they had left they bounty hunter and his golden chao, Zinc leading the way into the mountains. Zephyer said goodbye to them and glanced back as she departed. The lone, dark figure of O'Heathe stood like a statue, as did the chao-shape beside him. She found herself wondering if the biotics would catch them, and felt sorry for the outcast half-breed echidna. 

Zephyer and Zinc travelled most of the night. Near dawn they stopped for a rest, and continued on after the sun was up. Zephyer noticed that Zinc's attitude had changed. Before he had pushed her, rushed her, goaded her on with, "Hurry, hurry!" Now he took his time, let her rest when she was tired, and seemed reluctant to go on. Twice he seemed about to tell her something, but each time backed out with, "Nevermind." The further they went the more uncomfortable he acted. 

Around noon they entered a small valley and saw their destination. In the far slope of the valley was a small, flat-roofed, round-walled building, closely guarded by trees. "That's where we're going," said Zinc, his white robot-eyes fixed on it. He stood looking at it a long time, one hand clenching and unclenching. 

"What's wrong?" Zephyer asked. "What are you afraid of?" 

"I'm not afraid," said Zinc, his voice cracking in the middle of the sentence. "Come on." 

They ascended the rocky slope toward the building. Unexpectedly they came upon a rusted barbed-wire fence. Zinc walked along it until he found a gate. It was unlocked, so he slid it open and beckoned to Zephyer. She stood on the outside for a long moment, looking up at the barbed wire. "What is this place?" 

"It's an abandoned iron mine," said Zinc wearily, gleaming shoulders slumping. "Come on, just trust me." 

Trust me. Did she trust Zinc? After a moment she decided she did and stepped through the gate. Zinc closed it neatly behind her and led her up the hill toward the round-walled building. 

Outside the big door Zinc again faltered. He was obviously struggling with something. "Zephyer," he said, turning to her and taking her robotic hands in his, "once we're inside, I may say some things that--that aren't true. I need you to trust me that this is for our own good." His face was suddenly full of pain. 

Zephyer didn't understand. "What's inside, Zinc?" she asked. "What do you mean, trust you?" 

"Just trust me, Zephyer," he said. "I can't explain it now. You'll understand everything later, but this is a hard thing I have to do. Can you do as I ask?" 

The echidna looked into her chao's eyes, trying to fathom the thoughts behind them. "I'll try," she said at last. 

Zinc looked at her for a moment, then released her hands, turned away and knocked three times on the steel door. 

It was several silent moments before the door clicked and swung open a few inches. Zinc pulled it open and motioned for her to enter. She did. 

Zephyer found herself standing in a glaring white room; white floor, white walls, white ceiling, glaring white lights. Near the wall to the left was a strange-looking contraption like a robot construction bay or robotizer, with a lot of sharp arms around it. In the wall ahead of her was a dark doorway, and standing inside it was a red robot with glowing green eyes. 

Zinc closed the outer door with an echoing clang. To Zephyer it was like a death sentence. Her heart had frozen, she couldn't move. She watched in cold, voiceless horror as Zinc walked to Robo Knuckles, bowed a little and said, "I have completed the test, master." 

Master. The word was like a kick in the stomach. Not sir. Master. Zinc was in the pay of Robo Knux. 

"Yes," purred the robot, "and with flying colors!" He paced toward Zephyer and stood with his broad arms folded, green eyes sparkling with good humor. "You brought me a Freedom Fighter, as we agreed. And such a simple solution; to bring the one who trusts you above all else!" 

Trust. The word went through her like a knife. She had trusted Zinc and he had handed her over to Robo Knux. Zephyer felt dizzy. 

"Long time no see, Winstrom," said the crimson robot. "It's been, what, three, four years?" She didn't answer him. He paced around her like a shark circling its prey. "Thank you for raising such a faithful chao," he sneered. "He has been loyal to me since the day at Cragclaw when I healed his wound." 

That brought a reaction. "You healed--?" Zephyer exclaimed, looking from Robo Knux to Zinc. Zinc avoided her eyes. 

"Yes," purred the crimson robot. "It was an experiment, and it worked. Zinc owed me one, you might say." 

Zephyer whirled on Zinc. "You lied to me! You strung me along so you could sell me out!" 

Zinc only looked at her soundlessly. 

Robo Knux laid a hand on her arm, gentle now, but with the strength of a tiger. "Actually, he never lied to you. Did he ever deny that I helped him?" 

"Well ... no." 

"Did he ever tell you he WASN'T a spy?" 

Zephyer thought of when Zinc had told her he would never betray the Freedom Fighters. He had not denied he was a spy. "No." 

"I thought not," said the robot. "Like I said, you did a good job of raising him. He is faithful to his debts and never lies. Now, I will see you to your accommodations you will have while you are with us." 

That had been three hours before. Zephyer was still sitting motionless in her dark cell, staring at nothing. Robo Knux had taken the energy cell out of her pistol, so there was no use trying to escape. She wanted to cry, but the tears would not come. There was nothing inside her but swirling horror and betrayal. Zinc had betrayed her. Her chao, the chao she had raised from a hatchling. And he had asked her to trust him! It seemed laughable now. Trust him, when he had been running to hand her over to the enemy all along. Her world was falling apart at the seams. 

And still the tears would not come. 

* * *

The sun set and rose again on that troubled world. The tides were about to change with the strangest alliance the Freedom Fighters would ever make. Even Leviathan, the great dictator who predicted every move his puny enemies made, had not foreseen it. 

At nine o'clock that morning, Knothole went into a panic, people running in terror for weapons and cover. Sally saw the confusion, grabbed her blaster and dashed outside, anticipating a biotic invasion. Everyone was fleeing the southern part of the village. The squirrel ran in hat direction, shouting orders as she went. Sonic and Velocity flashed by, both looking ready for a battle. They flew around a corner and vanished. Sally rounded it, too, and blundered into them. Sonic and his chao were stopped dead, staring. In fact, all the chao and chao owners were there, forming a wide ring around ... something. Sally craned her neck to see, and gasped. The blaster dropped from her stunned hands. 

It was Robotnik and Metal Sonic. Or rather, what remained of them. 

Robotnik seemed to have lost fifty pounds, and one arm rested in a make-shift sling. He was leaning heavily on Mecha's shoulder for support, and the robot was doing his best to hold his master up. Mecha was covered in so much dirt he was no longer blue, but more of a dirty grey. His usually inaudible engine hum was quite loud, with a whistle to it. But the hate and pride programmed into him was still there, as he stared around at the onlookers as if they were slaves. 

Robotnik, however, was not above them anymore. "We need your help," he said hoarsely. He tried to continue, but shook his head and looked at Metal Sonic. Mecha looked up at him, and his eyes lit with scarlet light. He didn't want to talk to them. "We have been on the move since we lost Final Egg," said the robot flatly. "I am damaged and Dr. Robotnik is injured. You are the only ones who can help us." He looked at Sonic with glittering eyes for a second. Sonic looked at Slasher, who looked at Sally. Sally's mind raced. They could turn away their old enemies, or kill them, or imprison them. They were totally in her power. She thought of Robotropolis and the robotizer, and how much she had longed for a day like this. Mercy had never been an option for her before. But now Robotnik and Mecha could be valuable allies, possibly even to the point of defeating the Black Claw. It was a risk, but she would risk it. Robotnik and Mecha were powerless. 

"Take Robotnik to the medical hut," she said. "And take Mecha to Rotor, but first I want to speak to them." 

The chao team parted ranks to let her through. Sally walked up to Robotnik and looked him in the eye. "You have caused all of us grief. We have no reason to trust you, and every reason to execute you. Keep that in mind. No murder attempts, and no hijacking our technology once you're well. Understand?" 

Robotnik nodded. "You are not the enemy," he said simply. 

Sally turned to face Metal Sonic. She found herself eye to eye with the fearsome robot who had tried over and over to murder Sonic. She hadn't seen him up close in years, and it seemed to her that he would not have liked anything better than to rip her to pieces. "You will not harm anyone while you are here, not even Sonic, understand?" 

The eyes dimmed a fraction at the word 'Sonic', as if Mecha had winced. "Affirmative," he said. "At least, not until Mecha-bot five has fallen." 

Sally stepped aside. "Go." 

Robotnik was helped away toward the medical hut, and Metal Sonic was escorted at gunpoint toward Rotor's workshop. 

Sonic leaped to Sally's side. "Did he say 'Mecha-bot five'?" he hissed. 

She nodded. "Yes. Isn't that Robo Knuckles?" 

"No," said Knuckles, looking after Mecha. "Robo Knux is Mecha-bot four." 

"Who are Mecha-bots one and three?" asked Velocity. 

"Mecha-bot one was Silver Sonic," said Tails, who appeared to know. "Mecha-bot three was an experimental unit that didn't turn out." 

"But who is five?" persisted Velocity, cocking his head. 

"It's probably Leviathan," said Talon, very softly. Knuckles was the only one who heard this, and repeated it louder. 

Shock. Horror. 

"He's a Mecha-bot?" asked Serena. "No wonder he's so bad!" 

"Who gets to interrogate Mecha?" asked Sonic. "I wish we had Zinc." 

"I'll do it," said Sally, clenching a fist. "He doesn't hate me in particular for anything. Slasher, you talk to Robotnik." 

"Aye-aye," said the big raptor. 

* * *

"Well?" asked Sonic quietly. "How did it go?" 

The hedgehog seated himself at the little table in Sally's hut. The squirrel was already there, an open notebook lying before her, and looking frazzled from questioning Metal Sonic. Slasher stood nearby, also with a notebook. They looked at Sonic. "Well," said Slasher, "Robotnik was only too glad to tell me everything. He wants us to take revenge for the fall of Final Egg. Unfortunately, he didn't build Mecha-bot five. The other Mecha-bots did." 

The raptor looked at Sally, who ran a hand through her hair. "It was an experience," she said. "I don't know how I ever thought we could tame that robot." She consulted her notes. "He wants us to kill Mecha-bot five, too. He gave me a lot of statistical information, and Sonic, I don't know how we're going to take him down." 

Sonic leaned forward. "Like what?" 

Sally turned a page. "Well, it has complete healing functions for one. It can repair any damage in less than ten minutes. It has a micro-super computer for a brain. It can adapt to any environment, and can learn anything as fast as the information is input. It has over a million fighting techniques programmed into it, and here's the worst part--before it went out on its own, it copied all the information in Robo Knux and Metal Sonic's databanks to its own. It knows everything they know; about us, about Mobius, about the chaos emeralds ..." Sally trailed off and looked at her companions. 

"It's hopeless, then," said Slasher calmly. 

Sonic was tracing the table's woodgrain with a finger, ears pointed backward in frustration. "But it can't be hopeless!" the hedgehog exclaimed. "There's always a way! Couldn't we take out his battery or something?" 

"You know, that's the odd thing," said Sally, flipping through her notebook. "Metal Sonic wouldn't tell me what its power core was. And a robot as powerful as Mecha-bot five would need a lot of power." 

"So that makes two problems," said Slasher, paging through her own notebook. "We don't know if the thing is killable, and we don't know where it is. Robotnik only knew the name of a base. Magmatar." 

"Metal Sonic mentioned that, too," Sally agreed. "Mecha said he thought it was Leviathan's home base, but he has no idea where it is." 

There was silence a few moments. "Hey," said Sonic, "maybe it's as lousy a name as Subterran and Cragclaw. Cragclaw was a base that looked like a claw. Subterran was under water. Magmatar ... Magma-tar? Do you think it's in a volcano somewhere?" 

Sally got up, dug some rolled-up maps out of a drawer, and spread them on the table. "Volcanos," she muttered, pulling out Nicole. "Nicole, please list the world's currently active volcanos." 

"Working, Sally." A column of text appeared on the minuscule screen. Sally pulled a pencil out of the binding of her notebook and began to circle spots on the map. Slasher and Sonic watched. There was a range of them in the bottom half of South Mobius, scattered spots of activity in East Mobius, three in West Mobius, and dozens in the ocean. 

"Well," said Sonic sarcastically, "that sure narrows the field. All we have to do is check all of these." 

"We will," said Sally. "One thing the Black Claw has done is unify all Mobius against it. I'll put up a request on the satellite network for anyone near these volcanos to look for a biotic base near one." 

"Smart thinking," said Slasher. 

Sonic grinned sheepishly. "Yeah."


	14. Chapter 14

The request went out, and answers poured in. They were discouraging. Not only were the volcanos uninhabited, no biotics would go near them. In some ways the enemy exhibited an annoying amount of common sense. Sally printed a list of volcanos and crossed them out one by one. The list was filled with eliminated names with depressing speed, and still no one knew where Magmatar was. 

* * *

Knuckles was worried about Talon. 

The anteater kept seeing things that weren't there, and he was beginning to go into depression. Knuckles tried everything he knew, but Talon was getting worse. To all appearances he was perfectly healthy; his fur was sleek and shiny, his eyes were bright, and he had lots of energy. His ears had healed, and aside from a faint ache once in a while, they didn't bother him. But the fact remained that Talon would see people who obviously weren't there, with no warning or explanation. He carried Max everywhere with him for security. 

This was a factor in Knuckles's choice to return to the Floating Island for a while. He wanted to get Talon home--Knothole never felt like home to either of them--and he also wanted to make sure the biotics had not sneaked aboard behind the Chaotix's backs. So one warm summer morning, the echidna packed up his chao and Talon, and beamed out to the island. 

Talon was glad to be home, and frisked about with Max under one arm and Chimera running at his side. Knuckles watched them play, grinning. Maybe at last Talon could recover. 

But that evening, Talon came to him, terrified, and told him that he had seen more hallucinations. They hadn't stopped. 

* * *

Zephyer was lying on the cold floor of her dim cell, dozing, when a snobby voice said, "Well well, it's you again." The echidna sat up, startled, and found herself facing a tall, shapely figure who was twirling a cell key around one finger. Zephyer stood up stiffly, her despair sinking another notch. Great, now she had this to deal with. "What do you want, Kardot?" she growled. 

Kardot tossed her perfect hair out of her face. "I don't want anything of yours, babe," she said, giving the keyring another twirl. "We've already got you chao." The android smiled wickedly as pain glinted in Zephyer's eyes. 

"Leave me alone," said Zephyer, turning away from her tormentor. 

"Sorry, I can't," said Kardot, unlocked the cell door. "You're going to be questioned." 

"By who? You?" Zephyer asked, turning back. She looked at the open door and considered dashing for it, then wondered what the odds were of Zinc coming after her with those blades on his head. Better not risk it. 

"I wish," said Kardot, stepping outside. "No, Robo Knux has something planned." 

Zephyer moved out, stepping on Kardot's foot as she passed. The android squealed. "Oh, sorry," said Zephyer with exaggerated pity. "How clumsy of me." 

"Don't worry about it," said Kardot with a predatory smile. The battle was on. 

Kardot moved around Zephyer to lead her from the cell block. One hand wound itself deftly in the echidna's dreadlocks and yanked. It almost knocked Zephyer down. "Oops," said Kardot, suppressing a smile. "I must have got a finger caught. So sorry." 

Zephyer smoothed her hair and smiled through her teeth. "It's okay." 

Kardot retreated out of reach, and neither harmed the other until they entered the blinding white entry room. 

Robo Knuckles was waiting for them. "Hello, ladies," he said, looking mostly at Kardot. "Zephyer, step this way." 

The robotizer thing in the corner was waiting. Zephyer stopped dead. "What are you going to do to me?" 

Kardot's laughter mocked her. "She's afraid! Can you believe that?" 

Zephyer's face burned, and she clenched her fists. "I'm not afraid," she said icily. "I just don't care to stand inside machines with sharp blades." 

Robo Knux's hand closed on one arm. His other arm raised to her throat, the steel eight-inch claws braced. "Do you need some assistance?" he asked with as much ice in his voice as she had had in hers. "I have more sharp ends than the machine." 

Zephyer stepped into the machine. She watched worriedly as Robo Knux locked her feet to the platform, and her hands to two posts, freezing her in a standing position with her arms out to the sides. The crimson robot moved to a small control console near the machine and began to punch buttons. The canopy over Zephyer's head began to hum, and the hydraulic arms around her hissed and stirred as their pressure stabilized. She felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. She couldn't bear pain. The very thought of torture made her sick. What could they possibly want to know that they were willing to torture her for? 

Zinc entered the room like a second Robo Knux, arms swinging and head lowered. He paced up and took his place before the machine, staring at Zephyer without expression. She wondered if he had begun to absorb the robot's personality, and gave him a look colder than winter. To her disgust, Kardot moved over and took Zinc's arm, smiling at him dazzlingly. Zinc ignored her. 

The mechanical arms lifted, moved inward with whining hums, and inserted their pointed tips to the joints of Zephyer's armor. She felt the vibration from each metal bit as they touched. Then-- 

Liquid fire. Fireworks. Hot sun. Rattlesnake bite. Splinters. Laser burn. The entire spectrum of pain was poured through Zephyer's body, from small to large, from annoying to mortal. She tried not to cry out--it would only make Kardot laugh--but she couldn't control herself. She threw herself against her bonds, trying to escape, trying to break the mechanical arms' grip. She couldn't. Her bonds held. The room disappeared into an echoing void of agony. 

Silence. The pain was gone. She came to and lifted her head, gasping air into her aching lungs. She was vaguely aware that she had been screaming. Zinc was still there, still watching her, unmoved. Kardot was over by the control panel now with Robo Knux, but Robo Knux was not looking at either of them. He was watching Zinc. 

"What do you want to know?" Zephyer panted. 

Robo Knux looked at her and shrugged. "Nothing." 

The metal arms vibrated, and the torture resumed. 

* * *

Zephyer awoke, hours later, in her dark cell. She lifted her head, but that was as far as she could move. Her body refused to respond to her commands. For a moment she wondered if she were paralyzed, then the pain hit her. No, if she was paralyzed there would be no pain. She simply couldn't move. She slumped back on the floor, tears stinging her eyes. What had hurt more, the torture or the things Zinc had yelled at her? She could only remember the hateful look on his face, his open mouth, his gleaming sharp teeth. Something about how he was taking the controls now because he liked to watch her suffer. Her stomach twisted. The tears came at last. She sobbed out her fear, her pain, her broken trust, he hatred of Robo Knux and Kardot. She did not quite hate Zinc yet, but figured it wouldn't be too difficult. 

And they hadn't even questioned her. 

* * *

"So the only ones who haven't hut Ultimate are Elleno and Chimera?" Tails asked. 

Sonic nodded. "Yeah, I think so. Man, you should have seen Velocity--he was great!" 

The two were walking through the woods toward the ruins of Robotropolis. There had been plans to rebuild the city, but the biotic invasion had stopped them cold. Now Sonic and Tails used the rubble as a sort of training course to run around in. The sun shown cheerily overhead, glancing through the leafy canopy. As always, they were discussing chao, their favorite subject. 

"Know what?" Tails asked, lowering his voice. "Pilot's got an ability she's never used before. She told me about it yesterday." 

"Like what?" Sonic asked, pricking up his ears. 

"Well," said the fox, "you know her horn? She told me she can shoot lightning with it." 

"No kidding? Why hasn't she tried it?" 

"Well, she can't quite control it. She showed me a tree she had blown up by accident." 

Sonic laughed. "No wonder she hasn't used it! Hey, did you ever wonder what would happen if Elleno and Velocity traded emeralds?" 

Tails cocked his head. "Huh?" 

"You know, they've got the wrong emeralds. Would they lose their abilities if they had the right ones?" 

"Good question," said Tails thoughtfully. "It might just make them sick. Hey, I thought of something! If Pilot can shoot lightning, does that mean she's got the wrong emerald, too?" 

"Ooo, good question," said Sonic. "But if she's got the wrong emerald, that means somebody else does, too. Man, do they ALL have the wrong emerald? Or does that mean they have the RIGHT emeralds?" 

The trees were thinning by this time, the light brightening. Tails shaded his eyes and looked out toward Robotropolis. "Sonic," he said suddenly, "there's somebody running this way." 

Sonic barely had time to squint before a dark figure crashed into the brush twenty feet away and ran toward them. "Sonic! Tails!" he cried. Sonic bristled at once; it was Fealor Nash. The young cougar came to a stop before them and rested his hands on his knees, panting. 

"What do you want?" Sonic asked stiffly. 

"Scouts!" panted Nash, his yellow eyes wide with fear. "Biotic scouts! Three of them! I shot one, but it got up and came after me. I barely lost it. We have to warn Knothole!" 

"What were you doing out there?" Sonic asked, unmoved. 

"I was looking at the famed Robotropolis," said Nash indignantly. "Sonic, I don't know why you hate me, but this is ridiculous. Your home is in danger. Are you going to let me help you or not?" 

Sonic looked at him for a long moment, thinking it over. After all, Nash's threat was still distant, and if the biotics killed them all, there would be no future to worry about. At last he said, "All right, then, come on." The three whirled and ran in the direction of the village. 

* * *

A hunt for the three spies ensued, but the only one felled was the one Nash had shot earlier. Sonic and Velocity ran it down, and Velocity ripped it to pieces. Slasher trailed the other two, but never caught them. Somehow all the raptor's vigor had returned with Chalcon's hatching, and she carried him on her back between her wings, as before. 

"Now what do we do?" asked Velocity as the strike team trudged home. 

"We wait and see what happens," said Sonic grimly. "I want to get my belt working." 

* * *

Two days passed. Sonic and Knuckles talked over the radio, but nothing Knuckles suggested could make the super emeralds in Sonic's belt activate. The jewels were all glowing again, but they refused to power their owner. Knuckles wondered if it was because they were powering the chao now. Sonic grudgingly conceded that that was probably it, and all the chao would have to go to Ultimate to make up for it. 

In a hidden base in the Dark Mountains, Zephyer was tormented twice more, and Robo Knux did not question her about a thing. Each time Zinc was present, and it seemed he scorned Zephyer more and more. Kardot tortured Zephyer in her own way with little underhanded cruelties Zephyer could not repay, including treating Zinc as her own property. Zinc always ignored her, but it made little difference to Zephyer. 

The morning of the third day, Zephyer heard Robo Knux and Kardot talking. They were in such a place that their voices carried down the passage to the cell block, and by straining her ears, Zephyer was able to piece together their conversation. It seemed Robo Knux had received orders from Leviathan himself, and was communicating them to Kardot. 

"I'll go at once," said Kardot. "It'll be perfect. This is the only reason I came to you." 

"You don't say." Robo Knux sounded crushed. "Really?" 

"Of course," said Kardot. "I've wanted an excuse and the power to kill that guardian and his stupid sidekick for ages. And now even if I don't get the chance, the biotics will handle it. Now, goodbye. Come out soon." 

"If I have time," said Robo Knux, still sounding glum. "I'll be leading the Knothole strike." 

"Poor thing. Make sure you do away with that Zephyer before you leave, okay?" 

"Affirmative." 

The clang of the outer door closing. 

Zephyer sat in her cell, staring at the floor. Kardot was going to kill Knuckles and Talon. This knowledge was far worse than any torture. "Zinc," she whispered, "if I ever get out of here alive, I'll kill you for this." 

* * *

The double-pronged strike was swift and unexpected. But it was not quite as devastating as planned. 

Knuckles, Talon and their chao had taken a hike down through an underground passage to Lava Reef. Chimera led the way, carrying a torch in his mouth he had lit himself, and Talon carried the claustrophobic Max. 

"This tunnel was dug over six hundred years ago," Knuckles was saying. "Many of these tunnels were dug around the time a terbium meteorite fell to Mobius, and the echidna clan needed quick access to Lava Reef. They were able to cure the terbium before it progressed more than a few square miles. When it landed here a few years back, it progressed much further because we didn't know how to stop it." 

"I wish I had been here," exclaimed Chimera. "I would have killed it, all right." 

"It would have killed you," said Knuckles peaceably. "It nearly got me as it was." 

"I heard about the terbium," said Talon. "I think the whole world know what happened when Robotropolis fell." 

A dim red light began to reflect on the walls and floor. "Almost there," said Knuckles. A hot wind was blowing in their faces now, making Chimera's torch flutter. It smelled of hot rock. 

"I like the ocean better," said Max uncomfortably. 

"Ah, you and your sissy water," snorted Chimera the dragon. "Lava rules." He handed the torch to Knuckles and galloped ahead down the passage. 

Suddenly they heard Chimera's claws scrabbling on the stone floor as he came back. "Knuckles!" he screamed in a whisper. "Knuckles Knuckles Knuckles! Don't go down there!" He flung himself across the tunnel, blocking the path. 

"Chimera, what's wrong?" the echidna said, startled by Chimera's uncharacteristic fear. 

The dragon looked up at him. "Biotics," he whimpered. "Millions of 'em." 

Knuckles and Talon exchanged a look, then stepped over Chimera and ran down the passage for a look. Chimera followed at their heels. 

They came to the mouth of the tunnel and stared out into the main cavern of Lava Reef. Or what had been the main cavern. It was full of tall, spidery steel structures, machinery, struts, cables, and biotics. 

"How'd they get all this in here?" exclaimed Knuckles in fury. "Where'd they come from?" 

Talon's eyes widened in realization. "Magmatar," he said. "Magma is lava underground!" 

"You mean Leviathan's base is here?" Knuckles yelped. "But that would mean he's been here the whole doggone war!" 

"Have you come to Lava Reef in that long?" asked Chimera. Knuckles hesitated. He had been in and out of Hidden Palace, but in truth he had not visited Lava Reef Proper in a long time. 

Running footsteps. The Chaotix. Espio reached Knuckles first, his chameleon skin a ghostly green with fright. "Knuckles," he gasped, "there's biotics on the surface--tons of 'em--looking for us!" 

Vector, Mighty and Charmy arrived, also terrified, and looked out at Lava Reef in amazement. "You guys," said Knuckles, "get to the upper passages. You know the hiding places. Use them. Talon and I will be along in a while." The four raced away. 

"Come on," said Knuckles. "We've got to get up there. Chimera, I need you to go to Ultimate." 

"But I don't know how!" said the dragon as they started the climb back up the tunnel. 

"It's easy," said Max. "Just squeeze more power out of your emerald." 

"East for you to say, fish breath," snapped Chimera. 

"Talon," whispered Max in his master's ear. "I need to tell you something. 

"What?" Talon whispered back, trying to listen over the jumble of footstep echoes. 

"You're not losing your mind," the chao whispered. "I have the wrong emerald. I can change shapes." 

Talon almost dropped him. "You really? You're kidding! You mean it's not me?" 

"No! I've been practicing. I'm sorry, I should have said something earlier. Anyway--" Max continued to whisper in his young master's ear as they sped toward the surface, and battle. 

* * *

Zephyer lifted her head and glared through the cell bars as footsteps came down the hall. It was Robo Knux. He unlocked the door and said, "Come with me." 

"Gonna kill me, eh?" Zephyer snarled, rising to her feet. "It's about time." 

"Very perceptive," said the robot calmly. He seized her by one arm and led her up the hall toward the main room, not caring if she struggled or not. Zephyer didn't resist him. Not yet. 

They stepped into the light of the main room and found Zinc waiting for them, polished and sleek as usual. "Good going, Zinc," snapped Zephyer as Robo Knux muscled her into the torture machine. "Kardot just left to kill Knuckles and Talon. Oh, and he's gonna kill me, did you know that?" 

Robo Knux slapped her across the face. "Shut up." 

Zephyer's feet were locked in, but her arms were not yet pinioned. She grabbed the robot's dreadlocks in her left hand, morphed her right into her sword, and drove it into his eyes. 

Robo Knux twisted away and stood at a distance, cursing. One green eye was out and the other was flickering, but she had not had the strength to penetrate his internal computer shield. He could still see. 

"An invasion of the Floating Island?" asked Zinc casually, as if this interchange meant nothing. "I heard nothing about that." 

"Orders," said Robo Knux. "Magmatar must be secure." He paused with a hand over his face, then waved at Zephyer. "Kill her for me." 

Zephyer tried to reach the binding release lever, but it was too far away. She stood rooted to the spot and watched Zinc approach. For the first time since their arrival, the chao looked uncertain. He walked to the machine's control panel, looked at it, then over his shoulder at Robo Knux. "How, master?" 

"Those things on your head might do the job," said the robot in disgust. "Don't tell me you've never killed anyone before." 

Zinc returned his gaze to Zephyer. She clenched her fists and waited. If he tried it she would rip him apart like a biotic. 

Without warning Zinc lowered his head and charged. Zephyer held out her blade and braced her elbow, ready for impact. But at the last second Zinc turned aside a fraction, and his deadly blades ripped into the machinery of the torture tube. As he picked himself up he whispered, "Pretend to stab me." 

Pretend? Ha! She tried it for real. Zinc fell at her feet, unharmed, for her sword could not penetrate his armor. She hacked away anyway for good show. The bindings on her feet snapped open. 

Robo Knux was watching all this silently, but his good eye was blazing like green fire. "You fools," he hissed. "Do you think I'm so gullible as to be tricked like that? Die." 

Zephyer had an instant to see the panels on the robot's chest slide open, then Zinc stood up and blocked her view. There was a soft clicking sound, then the world exploded with fire. 

When the room resolved itself, Zephyer found herself lying on the floor amid the remains of the tube. She was shaken, but unhurt. Zinc was already crawling to his feet, but smoke was pouring from his torso. Robo Knux was in the same spot she had last seen him, a faint wisp of spoke trailing from whatever weapon he had fired. His chest closed over it, and he moved forward. "It appears you are tougher than I thought," he said, stepping over the wreckage. "I should have known better than to hire you, chao. You could never harm your mistress." 

Zinc was backing away, clutching his chest. Zephyer had no time to think about what she did; she grabbed a twisted metal arm, swing it like a baseball bat and knocked Robo Knux in the head with it. The robot crashed to the floor, stunned and temporarily paralyzed. Zephyer grabbed Zinc. "Let's get out of here." 

She dragged him out the door and into the welcome warmth of a late July day. As she ran, half-supporting him, she realized she hadn't much strength. The torture had weakened her. "Zinc," she panted, as before at Cragclaw, "go to small form. I can carry you." 

"No," Zinc groaned. "I'll die. He blew me apart." 

This didn't make much sense, seeing as he was still in one piece, so Zephyer concentrated on running. 

They raced through the gate in the barbed wire fence, across the valley's narrow floor and up the far side. Zephyer was nearly dragging Zinc by now, and hauled him into the cover of some overhanging boulders. The silver chao-robot sprawled on the ground, and Zephyer fell beside him, gasping. For the first time she saw his wound, and realized why he had said he was blown apart. The entire front panelling of his torso was gone, exposing the working machinery inside. If he returned to small form, that machinery would convert to flesh and blood, and the chao would die in minutes. "It was a rocket," Zinc groaned. "Zephyer, you have to help me--" 

"Shh!" she hissed fiercely. Robo Knux's jet engines had fired up. The two huddled under their rock and listened as the robot circled the valley twice, then screeched away westward. 

"You know where he's gone, Zinc?" snarled Zephyer. "He's gone to lead a sneak-attack on Knothole. In a few hours the biotics will be swarming over these mountains." 

Zinc looked at her without expression. "I need to tell you something." 

"What?" said Zephyer, a mixture of emotions beginning to overwhelm her. "That this was for nothing? That you brought me here to save me? I know all the lines, Zinc, and none of them will work." 

He was silent now, watching her. 

Zephyer's voice began to crack. "I trusted you, Zinc, I trusted you--and you broke my trust. You sold me to Robo Knux. I never thought anyone could be so--so heartless!" She rose to her feet and began to walk; away from that valley, away from Zinc. 

"Zephyer!" called Zinc from behind her. "It's not what you think! Come back!" 

She didn't look back. Her teeth were set, her face contorted with tears, a throbbing knot in her throat. She would not speak to him ever again. 

"Zephyer!" cried Zinc again, a terrified helplessness in his voice. "Zephyer! Don't leave me!" 

But she did. And she regretted it with all her heart afterward. 

* * *

"Chimera! Go to Ultimate form! Now!" 

"But I can't!" 

Chimera and Knuckles were lying in the brush at the foot of a cliff, watching a group of biotics comb the area, red eyes alert and murderous. Talon had gotten separated from Knuckles in the first wave of battle and Knuckles didn't know what had become of him. This was partly why he was urging Chimera to use his emerald. And for the first time in his short life, Chimera was frightened. The little dragon enjoyed straight fights with a few biotics, but hundreds and hundreds were beyond his league. "I hate them," he snarled under his breath. "I hate them! I'd like to rip their guts out!" 

"Go to Ultimate and I don't care what you do to them," Knuckles whispered back. 

Suddenly Chimera whirled, teeth bared, and hissed. A biotic had found them--a lizard of some sort with slitted eyes. Too late to take it out quietly; it had already signalled the rest. Chimera huffed a lungful of fire at it, then tackled it as it fell back. "Forget it!" Knuckles yelled. "Run!" Silver shapes were galloping toward them over the scrub brush. The echidna and his dragon ran for it. 

Knuckles knew this area well. The ground sloped down from the foot of the cliffs toward the forest below. A quick glide would take him out of the biotic attack and into the shelter of the trees, but in those few seconds he would be completely exposed. It had to be on foot or nothing. And for now he was forced to run along the foot of the cliffs, cut off from shelter by the robots tracking him. 

Chimera slammed into Knuckles's back, and the echidna went down. "What are you--" he began angrily, but the chao-dragon clapped a scaly paw over his mouth. "Shut up," whispered Chimera, eyes as frantically yellow as goldfish. "Look!" Knuckles looked. 

Still running down the line of cliffs was another Knuckles, and the biotics were pursuing it. "What's that?" Knuckles whispered, yanking Chimera's paw off his mouth. "That's not Kardot, is it?" Chimera didn't answer, but his eyes narrowed in suspicion. 

The biotics were past them now, trailing that red shape with no thought for anything else. In some ways, ordinary SWAT-bots were superior to the biotics, for the biotics lacked scanners. Knuckles sensed how blind they were to him as they all closed in on the other red echidna. 

Suddenly Talon shot into the sky, green and red light shining from the soles of his shoes. Max was in his arms. "It was Max," growled Chimera hatefully. "He can shapeshift. I should have known." 

"That was Max?" Knuckles began, but broke off as a well-aimed laser from the biotics struck Talon. The anteater flipped over in aid-air and dropped into the thick of the robots. "No!" Knuckles gasped, but Chimera held him back. "Don't, Knuckles! They'll capture us, too!" 

The echidna sat still, a deadly light in his eyes, as the biotics lifted Talon and Max triumphantly and carried them away down the hill. "They're alive," he muttered, "else they wouldn't bother." He sat still a second longer, then snapped open the metal panel on his right shoe and pulled out a small green gem. "I'm gonna drive 'em all into the ocean," muttered Knuckles, cupping it in his hands. There was no sensation of movement, but the ocean on the horizon began to rise. The island was descending into the ocean. 

"Got a plan?" asked Chimera. 

"Sort of," said Knuckles as the island touched down. "Come on." The echidna returned the miniature Master Emerald to the pocket in his shoe and dashed in the opposite direction the biotics had taken. Chimera followed him as usual, wondering what his master had in mind.


	15. Chapter 15

Knothole was silent. The huts stood dark and empty, the streets were deserted. Not a bird sang anywhere. It was ominously still. 

A silver shape with red eyes slipped between the huts, hunting. Another appeared further off, crouched low, looking and sniffing for prey. More and more biotics appeared, silent, inconspicuous, hungry. They opened huts and looked inside, disturbing nothing. They were baffled to find the village empty. Their invasion had arrived, and there was nothing to invade. 

Robo Knux stalked through the village, scanning with everything he had to make up for his damaged eye. The village was vacant, his scans detected nothing. He thought about telling the biotics to destroy everything, but that would not be wise. Leviathan had not permitted it. How had Knothole known? Who had warned them about the attack? Nobody else knew but Kardot, and she wouldn't warn the Freedom Fighters. Had they tapped the network? It was possible ... 

A hostile scan. Low-level frequency. Metal Sonic! He sent a blocking signal and spun about, looking. Mecha was nowhere in sight, and none of the biotics had seen him. A scan like that had to some from nearby! It was there, blocked, trying to get through, governed by a hostile robot. 

* * *

"Magmatar," said Metal Sonic quietly, "is on the Floating Island." 

"Whoa," muttered Sonic from a safe distance. "I sure didn't expect that!" 

"If you can destroy Mecha-bot five," said Metal Sonic, turning to Sally and pretending Sonic wasn't there, "the entire biotic army will be left without network support. Take the chao and go," he added to Tails, who among the Freedom Fighters he hated least. "I will distract the biotics. They will never find you." The blue robot dropped off the balcony and flew away from the treehouse village of Eagle's Nest, where Knothole had fled to for safety. 

"What are we waiting for?" said Slasher. "Pilot, load up and et's go!" 

"Right!" said Pilot, enlarging to Ultimate form at once. "All aboard for the Floating Island!" 

Suddenly Slasher groaned. "I can't fly. I keep forgetting." She looked down at Chalcon, who looked up at her with wide baby eyes. 

"Slash, use Knux's teleporter," Sonic called. "Serena brought it for fear the biotics would use it." 

"Good idea!" exclaimed the big raptor, and darted off to find it. 

Knothole had received an anonymous transmission a few hours before from someone saying they were going to be attacked. The village was evacuated at once. Robotnik still wasn't well enough to do much, but Metal Sonic had been repaired and was itching for action. Everyone agreed to let him lure the biotics away from Eagle's Nest, if only so he wouldn't lurk about and cast evil glances at the Freedom Fighters. 

* * *

Slasher beamed down on the Floating Island in the middle of a meadow. She bounded to the cover of some trees. Clutching Chalcon to her chest, she reared up and looked about, wondering where Knuckles was, and if he had been killed. Magmatar. It was so glaringly obvious. Lava Reef! She wondered how Knuckles had overlooked it for so long. "With I had my wings, Chalcon," muttered the raptor. She glanced down at him and found him looking up at her rather drowsily. "And I wish you could talk." She set off at a lope toward the mountain range several miles distant. She had to get to Lava Reef. 

* * *

"Look! It's in the ocean!" Tails called. 

Tails, Sonic and Serena were seated on Pilot's back, Sonic and Serena with their chao in their laps. Pilot's great yellow Pegasus wings beat the air on either side, wider than an airplane, and her mane rose and fell in silky waves. 

Sonic and Serena bent out to look and saw the Floating Island sitting in the water, the picture of tranquillity, it's forests reflected in the infinite blue around it. 

"How could they put a base there?" said Elleno sadly. "It's so pretty!" 

"They're crueler than Robotnik," Serena replied. "That's why." 

"I'll bet Max likes being in the water," said Velocity. "Hey Pilot, you gonna land soon?" 

"I was looking for a safe spot," said the horse. "I don't want to get us all killed." 

"How about there?" said Tails, pointing to an open area near a mountain spur. "We might be able to get to Magmatar easier that way." 

"I'll try it," said Pilot, and banked sideways to lose some altitude. 

"I hope Knux is okay," said Serena. She stiffened and grabbed her brother's shoulder. "Sonic! What if the Black Claw finds Hidden Palace?" 

"Then we're doomed," said Sonic grimly. "We'll have to kill their leader before they do. I just hope Knux hasn't ate it by now." 

"No kidding," Velocity agreed. 

* * *

Knuckles crouched atop a ledge near the ceiling of the Lava Reef cavern, squinting at the dull orange lava pools, nearly hidden under the machinery and whatnot of the biotics. Chimera crouched beside him, following his master's gaze. He knew better than to ask what Knuckles was planning; the echidna would ignore him. He always did when he looked like that. 

After a moment Knuckles crawled away from the edge, dug his claws into the black stone wall and began to climb sideways, along the ceiling. Chimera crouched and watched him, wishing he could climb, too. The dragon cocked his head and looked down at the nameless structure on the floor. Earlier, the troop of robots had entered with Talon and Max, and all of them had vanished into that mass of steel. Chimera couldn't even guess what it might look like inside, but he figured it was hot. It straddled the widest of the lava pools. 

Knuckles was a good distance away by this time, a dark blotch against darker volcanic rock. Chimera watched him, the tip of his spiked tail quivering with impatience. Why didn't they DO something, for crying out loud? Ah, Knuckles had stepped onto another ledge of rock. Chimera spread his bat-like wings and flew across the cave to his master. 

"Hush now," said Knuckles sternly as the little dragon landed at his feet. "What you're about to see is one of the secrets of the island. Don't ever breathe a word of it to another soul, do you hear me?" 

"Cross-hairs on my heart," said Chimera. 

Knuckles nodded and pressed a knob of rock. At once a small crack appeared in the wall as a concealed door swung inward a few inches. It was only two feet high. Knuckles crawled through, and Chimera followed, wide-eyed. 

Inside the wall was a small chamber, roughly rectangular with a low ceiling. The rear wall appeared totally alien to the chao; it was covered with square crystals, round ones, flat ones, raised ones, and one large cluster of dull orange quartz in the corner. Most of the crystals were glowing. 

"Whoa!" exclaimed Chimera. "What's all this junk? 

"The Lava Reef control room," said Knuckles shortly, walking up to it. He stood motionless for a long moment, arms folded, eyes moving from crystal to crystal as if they were computer screens. Then, easily and knowledgeably, he twisted a red crystal, touched three more, then placed both palms flat on a square blue crystal-panel. The quartz cluster in the corner lit with yellowish light. 

"We have three hours," said Knuckles quietly as they left the room and closed the hidden door. 

"Three hours for what?" asked Chimera. 

"Three hours until the cave floods with lava," replied Knuckles calmly. "That gives us until one o'clock." 

"What about Max and Talon?" 

"That's why I gave us three hours." The echidna knelt and gazed at the floor two hundred feet below. "Look. More biotics." 

Another troop of silver beasts was marching into the cave. "The more the merrier," said Chimera evilly. "I hope they stick around a few hours." 

"I wish all of them would come and hang out," Knuckles agreed. "Look, another prisoner." Abruptly he stiffened, fingers curling into the rock. "It's Zephyer! Look!" 

"Looks like they caught the spy," said Chimera carelessly, then stepped back as Knuckles drew back a threatening fist. "I mean, the person we thought was a spy." 

Knuckles craned his neck. "Do you see Zinc anywhere?" 

Chimera squinted at the marching biotics. A chao in small form would be hard to see. "No," he said at last. "I don't see him anywhere." 

"Blast," said Knuckles quietly. "They must have killed him." 

The two sat on their perch and watched the squadron march into the building, carrying the unconscious Zephyer. Knuckles stared hard after them, marking the location of the entrance in his mind, but Chimera noticed something else. "Look, there's Slasher!" exclaimed the dragon, pointing. "But who's that with her?" 

"Cool," said Knuckles without much enthusiasm. "Let's see if she has any ideas." He peered around, then gripped the wall and began to descend. Chimera spread his wings and parachuted after him. 

* * *

Slasher had spent a good deal of time wandering about the Floating Island, looking for an entrance to Lava Reef. She was not familiar with this portion of the island, and sorely missed her flight ability. Through all this Chalcon rested in her hands, not quite sleeping. At last she put him down for a moment as she drank from a stream. When she turned back, she found him asleep--with a transparent otiae-cocoon over him. 

Delight could not begin to describe the raptor's feelings. At last, she could talk to him again! She picked up the cocoon and carried it with her as she continued her search for a tunnel, her clawed feet light with joy. 

At last she found a squadron of biotics marching through the forest, one of them carrying a limp Zephyer in its arms. She watched and sniffed, but there was no sign of Zinc. Her heart sank. Something terrible must have happened to him. 

As she stood there, waiting for the biotics to pass by, she happened to glance at Chalcon's cocoon. It had already solidified and was growing clear again, and the chao inside was shockingly unlike the ordinary blue Chalcon she had known before. This chao was white with blue at his extremities, and his eyes were green gem-like ovals. With a shock she realized he looked just like pictures she had seen of Chaos. 

She recovered enough to pad after the biotics, looking into the cocoon every few seconds in awe. The squadron led her directly to a great passage at the foot of the cliffs. The big raptor watched them from behind a screen of ferns, the cocoon resting on the ground beside her. It was fading like smoke, and Chalcon was drawing nearer to waking. Any minute now ... 

Then the cocoon vanished. The chao yawned and looked around. "Slasher!" he said, and flung his clawed paws around her arm. 

"Chalcon!" she exclaimed, catching him up and hugging him. "You changed, look!" 

"Aren't I marvelous?" Chalcon agreed. "Do you have my emerald? I can't wait to see if it works." 

Slasher unlatched the emerald from where she had fastened it around her wing joint. Chalcon fastened it about his neck, then sank his sharp little teeth into the blue gem. 

The chao's body grew, stretched, faded into light blue. A moment later he stood beside Slasher, a humanoid figure made of water, with a massive cartiligenous structure inside his transparent right arm. He flexed his hand, then looked at Slasher. "Oh yeah," he told her in a slightly deeper voice, "this was worth it." 

"Do you remember much about what happened before you regressed?" 

"Most of it. It seems like a dream, but you talked to me so much when I was a hatchling it came back. No more books for me!" 

"You don't like being the brain of the gang?" 

"I don't mind, but I'd rather get out and help you fight. Where are we, anyway?" 

Slasher led her Chaos-chao into the tunnel and down toward Lava Reef, explaining about Magmatar, spies, Zephyer and Mecha-bot five as they went. Chalcon strode along with her, Chaos and yet not Chaos, for he did not stoop when he walked. It gave him a human look. 

The two peered out the bottom of the tunnel at Lava Reef. "Great," muttered Slasher. "I never liked this place at the best of times." 

As she spoke, Chalcon shrank backward into the tunnel, eyes fixed upward. His dread of all flying creatures was still with him. Slasher looked up and saw Knuckles and Chimera descending, Knuckles climbing on the wall, very softly. After a moment Chimera landed and Knuckles dropped to the floor. Knuckles eyed Chalcon uneasily as they were introduced, obviously remembering the monster of the Master Emerald, but he shook hands and grinned when Chalcon asked if he had any detonators on him. 

Knuckles quickly informed Slasher that the lava would overflow in a little less than three hours. "That's not much time to do all the stuff we need to do," she replied, gazing out at the cavern. "I suggest we--" 

At that moment a shout echoed across the cavern. Sonic's voice. "The anti-biotics are here!" 

"Oh great," muttered Chimera. 

Sonic, Tails, Serena and their chao had entered Lava Reef by another passage, and were pelting across the rough floor toward the fortress, like so many ants against the vastness of the dim cavern. 

"How many biotics are in there?" asked Chalcon. 

"Hundreds," replied Knuckles. "Sonic, you idiot!" The echidna bolted out into the open, angling off to intercept the others before they reached the fortress. 

Slasher started after him, but Chalcon held her back. "Don't go," he told her calmly. "They'll be taken alive. Leviathan would want to know what they know." 

Without warning, the clanging of approaching biotics came from the passage behind them. 

"On second thought," said Chalcon, "we'll all be taken alive." 

* * *

Talon slowly came to with the feeling someone had left a radio on. All that noise while he had been asleep. The next thing he was aware of was heat. The floor was hot, the air was hot, his fur was soaked with sweat. He blinked at the ceiling. He must be on the wall, looking down a hall. No, he was on the floor, and the ceiling was domed somehow. He lifted his head and focused his eyes. What a weird room; there was a kind of dais at the far end, and robots stood along the walls like statues. The anteater slowly sat up. His chest was sore where the stunner had struck him, but otherwise he felt okay. His shoes were still on his feet, thankfully. Why was it so hot in here? He couldn't see a heat source anywhere. 

Max! The chao was lying on the floor a few feet away, eyes closed, fins spread out as if he had been stepped on. Talon crawled to him and picked him up. "Max!" he whispered. "Max, speak to me!" 

"I'm never speaking to you again," said Max without opening his eyes. "That decoy trick was your idea and we got caught." 

"But it worked, didn't it?" asked Talon, stroking Max's green head. 

Max opened his eyes. "It's too hot. I'm thirsty." 

"Me too," said Talon, standing up and looking around. It was even hotter higher up. All those biotics were watching him, but none of them moved. Talon figured they wouldn't bother them for a moment, and moved around the room uncertainly. There was a door in the near wall, but it was the sliding kind, and there were no controls he could see. 

Without warning the door slid open in his face and someone stumbled into him. They went down in a heap. Talon felt hard metal and wrenched himself away, thinking it was a biotic, then stared. "Zephyer!" 

The echidna was scrambling to her feet, too, expecting a fight. "Talon?" she asked uncertainly, peering at him. "What are you doing here?" 

"Captured," said Talon. "You too?" 

She nodded. Her hair was matted and her metal tarnished, as if she had been living outdoors for a long time. Talon noticed she was looking at Max, and asked, "Where's Zinc?" 

Her eyes dropped to the floor. "Gone." 

"Oh." Talon looked down, too, awkwardly. Zinc must have died or something. On impulse he held out Max. She took him gently and stroked his head. "Thank you," she whispered. 

The door whisked open again. Zephyer and Talon jumped aside as Sonic and Velocity crashed to the floor. They jumped up at once. "Zeff! Talon!" exclaimed Sonic. "Where are we?" 

"A prison, I think," Talon ventured. "Why is it so hot?" 

"This whole place is built over a lava lake," said Sonic, waving a hand in disgust. "Hi Zeff, where's Zinc?" 

"Gone," she said simply. 

"Oh, dead, eh?" said Sonic tactlessly. "Was he really a spy?" 

"I don't know," Zephyer murmured. 

Velocity had gone to large form almost as soon as he got up, and was pacing back and forth, panting, all this time. Now he distracted everyone by making a strange meowing sound and flipping backward, as if trying to catch his tail. Then he fell to the floor and writhed as if in terrible pain. 

"Velos!" Sonic exclaimed in alarm. "What's wrong?" 

"Maybe it's the heat," Max volunteered. 

Suddenly the hedgehog clutched his head. "Ow! Owww!" The spasm passed, and he looked at Talon and Zephyer with panic in his eyes. "The Master," he whispered. Another spasm hit, and the hedgehog squirmed, holding his head in agonized silence. 

"The Master emerald?" Zephyer asked in confusion. 

Talon shook his head, also bewildered. He had never heard of the Master emerald causing pain before. 

The blue pair went deathly quiet. Velocity stood up, but his eyes were fixed and staring. Sonic sat up, panting and holding the side of his head. He seemed to be listening to something nobody else could hear. "No! No!" he yelled suddenly. "You can't have it! It's mine!" 

The door slid open yet again, and this time He stepped inside. Talon and Zephyer shrank back against the wall with a gasp. The beast of Subterran, the one who had nearly been the death of Chalcon and Talon, had been nothing but a cheap puppet. This monster was the real thing. He was seven feet tall, armored only in strategic places, such as his shoulders, head and back. The hide underneath was black as midnight, and his lower jaw was splotched with lava-orange. He moved like a snake, in oily ripples. His red eyes with hair pupils raked them indifferently, then focused on Sonic. 

Sonic was crouching, arms protecting his head, gasping for breath. Velocity stood beside him like a stiff plastic toy, not a whisker moving. "No," Sonic whimpered. "You--can't--have--it--" 

Velocity's mouth moved, but the voice was not his. "You completed the conditioning. You are mine now." 

Sonic jumped to his feet, fighting mad and panting for breath in the hot room. "It's my mind! You have no right to it!" 

Leviathan oozed toward him, his limbs scarcely seeming to move. Sonic shook his head, teeth bared. They were communicating telepathically. 

"What do we do?" Talon whispered. 

"I don't know!" Zephyer whispered back. "Look for a weakness!" 

Velocity turned in their direction, his eyes seeming to look past them. "I have not forgotten any of you, Talon, Zephyer and Max the chao." They froze. Could the monster see everything? 

Sonic was cowering again, holding his head in silent agony. Whatever else Leviathan could do, he could inflict pain on anyone in his network. "Stop!" he whimpered. "Help me you guys!" 

"Stay there, you guys," Velocity replied. 

Zephyer figured she had nothing to lose. She handed Max to Talon, then dashed at Leviathan's flank with her sword. At once the beast whirled, and his snapping silver jaws were in her face. He was so big! She ducked, saw his ferocious claws for a second, then hit the wall so hard she saw stars. She slumped to the floor, the room spinning. How had he hit her like that? She had not seen it coming. 

Sonic was standing erect again. Futile as Zephyer's assault had been, it had distracted Leviathan enough to release the mental pressure. If only his belt worked! He curled into a spindash and hurled himself at his tormentor. He struck and bounced off, then jumped up to see what he had done. He had successfully left a red scrape on Leviathan's arm. As he looked, the scrape healed over and vanished. "Young fool," came the complacent voice in his head. "My body is a higher evolution of yours. You cannot harm me." 

"You're just a stupid robot!" Sonic yelled, not bothering to use the telepathic link. "There's nothing superior about you! Nothing!" 

The monster was silent a moment, red eyes fixed on Sonic. Then it said through Velocity, "We shall see." It whirled and left the room. 

Zephyer and Talon stepped forward. "Sonic, are you okay?" 

"Yeah," said the hedgehog. The network noise in his head as fading as Leviathan drew further away. "I think I'll be all right. You okay, Zeff?" 

The echidna nodded, rubbing the back of her head. "I guess so. We've got to get out of here." 

Velocity, who had been standing stiffly, suddenly drooped and moaned. "Sonic, he let go," he said, turning to his master. "Why does he make me do these things? He might make me attack you!" The cheetah looked at Max. "Consider yourself lucky." 

"I would if there was water around," Max replied. 

Suddenly the biotics standing against the walls came to life. They stepped toward the little group, and one made a motion with a hand. "We're to go with them," said Sonic wearily, spines drooping. "They have orders to eat us if we try anything." 

Zephyer clenched her fists. "I'd like to see them try." 

Talon said nothing, but hugged Max to his chest.


	16. Chapter 16

They were led to a great hall, also with a domed roof. The floor was made of honeycomb steel, and heat rose through it in waves. Biotics stood in rows along the walls, and at the far end of the room was a raised platform, where Mecha-bot Five stood, waiting. 

The other Freedom Fighters were already there, standing in a row before Leviathan's platform. They looked around as Sonic, Talon and Zephyer were led in. For an instant Knuckles looked happy to see Talon, then gloom clamped down over his features. They were all going to die. The seven Freedom Fighters faced their enemy, and six chao sat beside them in small form, panting in the heat. 

For the first time Leviathan spoke without using someone else as a mouthpiece. "There is a spy among you." His voice was low and clear, without a trace of robot origins. It might have been a nice voice if not for the ugly body it belonged to. The thirteen looked at each other, each wondering if the other was guilty. 

"He has been a faithful spy," Leviathan continued, his silver teeth flashing, red eyes sweeping the group. "Well-versed in strategy, he framed Zinc and put Chimera up to driving him out while the rest were away." 

Chimera looked guiltily along the row at Zephyer, who was facing their enemy alone, but with a strange look on her face. 

"Now, spy," said the robot velociraptor, lowering his head and looking at the chao, "step forward and reveal yourself to your master." 

To the horror of everyone, it was Velocity who stepped forward, blue head hanging. "Velos," said Sonic, eyes wide. "It was you ...?" 

"Yes," the chao whispered. "I was the one who framed Zinc. I was the one who got us captured at Riverbase. I was the one who sounded the alarm in the weapons factory." He looked at Leviathan and yelled defiantly, "You made me do it! Every time I wanted to stop, you tortured me! You made me tell you our mission plans!" 

"Yes," said the monster. "And you were always faithful to me. I commend you for that." He fixed his eyes on Zephyer. "No Zephyer, your Zinc was not The spy, although he was A spy. I did not discover this until Robo Knux relayed the information to me. He was working against me and secretly passing information to your village's intelligence. He also had another contact I have not yet located." He paused to let that sink in, then added, "It was convenient of you to abandon him. He was easy prey for my children." 

The Freedom Fighters gaped at Zephyer. She was staring straight ahead, eyes glazed, hands hanging limp at her sides. Zinc had been a secret agent all along. He had asked her to trust him when he went undercover, and she had turned on him when he needed her. She remembered his pleading cry as she left him. If only she had trusted him, he would still be alive. A sob rose in her throat and lodged there. She would not cry before Leviathan. 

Sonic was shocked that Velocity was a traitor, but deep down he wasn't surprised a bit. He knew that the chao had never recovered from the mental conditioning, and he had dimly wondered if there was a reason for it. That was enough to satisfy Sonic. He would fight for his chao anyway. 

"You have tremendous group loyalties," said the mechanical raptor. "And together you have tremendous strength. One of you I have deprived of her pride. I will do the same for the rest." 

"Look dejected," whispered Chalcon to Slasher. She immediately dropped her head. Deprived of her pride, eh? Clipping her wings had hurt her pride, but it hadn't hurt anything else. In fact, having Chalcon restored to her was better than wings. 

A biotic moved up behind Tails and stamped a foot. Tails leaped into the air with a yelp and grabbed one of his tails. He nursed it in his hands, but tears of pain filled his eyes. "I think it's broken," he whispered to Pilot. She looked up at him anxiously, then shot a poisonous glance at Leviathan. 

Next a biotic grabbed Sonic. "Hey, let go!" the hedgehog yelled, struggling. The others moved to help him, but were stopped by Leviathan growling, "The first to lay a finger on him dies." Velocity crouched, trembling in rage, as another biotic approached with something in its hand. It made two swipes, and Sonic's spines fell to the floor in a heap. The biotic dropped him. Sonic scrambled to his feet and patted the back of his head. "You jerks!" he yelled. "I'm gonna get you!" He looked down at the pile of blue on the floor. "Somehow," he added under his breath. 

The others were treated mercifully quickly. The results would have been laughable had they taken place anywhere other than Magmatar. Serena was shaved like her brother, although it shamed her much more. Knuckles's dreadlocks were cut and his shovelclaws taken away. Talon was stripped of his shoes, and Zephyer's gun and sword blade were removed. 

They stood before Leviathan again, angry and embarrassed, at the same time praying he wouldn't take away the chao's emeralds. But unfortunately, even there he was ahead of them. "Hand over your gemstones," commanded the monster. 

The chao looked at each other in terror. To throw away their emeralds meant they would be totally helpless! It was fortunate they were quick thinkers from months of combat. 

Pilot, the purple Nights chao, stepped forward. "Mr. Mecha-bot, sir," she said shyly, as if being introduced to a stranger at a party, "I must ask you something first." She paused, and Leviathan nodded slightly. "Do you run on electricity?" 

The other chao looked at Pilot in sudden comprehension, and Sonic exchanged a glance with Tails. 

"My power source means nothing to you," replied Leviathan suspiciously. His biotics moved toward her, but it was already too late. 

All the chao but Velocity and Pilot exploded to large form and threw themselves onto their masters. Velocity the giant android cat crouched over Sonic and Zephyer, who had no chao to protect her. Pilot stood over Tails, a great winged unicorn, and neighed fiercely. She flung her head back, and her ivory horn lit from within. Then out of her horn shot a web of lightning, blue and gold. It shot toward the floor, the ceiling, the biotics, the chao, everything. The noise of the resulting thunder was deafening, and Magmatar shuddered. The chao crouched over their masters, shielding them from the killing electricity that snaked here and there, blinding beams of light that split the air with noise. Pilot's horn was lit like a wand, her mane flying and crackling with static. 

At last it was over. Pilot was the first to recover and galloped toward the rear door. It took everyone else a few seconds to peel their hands off their ears and stand up. The floor and ceiling were raked with black scars, and all the biotics in the room lay in heaps on the floor, dead or off-line. Leviathan was nowhere to be seen. 

Velocity sprang away to help Pilot rip down the door. The others followed, but Talon and Knuckles hung back, frisking the fallen robots. It didn't take long to recover their stolen weapons. Talon was quivering with fury. "He humiliated us all, sir!" 

Knuckles strapped on his shovelclaws, looking somehow younger without his dreadlocks. "I know, Tal, we'll get him. Come on." 

"They can't take my speed!" Sonic yelled as the thirteen raced through the narrow halls. "Idiot! Did he think he could cow us?" 

"That must have been it," shouted back Serena, who was helping Tails along. With a tail broken, it hurt him to run. 

"Wait!" yelled Elleno, slowing and looking at the walls. "We're going the wrong way. The entrance is that way." 

"How do you know?" called Chimera. 

"I just know," Elleno replied. "Come on!" 

Sure enough, the entrance was where Elleno had said it was. They burst out into the welcome coolness of Lava Reef, gasping the cool air into their lungs. They ran almost to the far wall before stopping to catch their breaths. For several minutes there was no sound but many people breathing heavily. Then Sonic glanced at Velocity, who had returned to large form. The cheetah was cocking his head, the fur on his back was standing up, and his tail was fluffed to three times its normal size. "What's up, Velos?" asked Sonic. He could no longer hear the network and was feeling much better. 

"Something's happening," muttered the cheetah. "He's really angry. He's calling all the biotics. But there's something else. There's another Voice!" 

Knuckles checked his watch and was relieved to see it was noon. They had an hour left. "Look, guys," he said, "this cavern will flood in an hour. I suggest we get out and block the entrances until then." 

"Do you think that will rid us of Leviathan?" asked Chalcon. As on all missions, he had looked, listened, and thought things through. "He's running off some revolutionary power source, and I doubt lava would stop him for long. Did you see the lights on his collar?" 

The others muttered that they hadn't. 

"There were four colored lights," said Chalcon, "and in the middle of them was a big green light. I believe they're connected to his core somehow. If we can electrocute him or something ..." He trailed off. All the Mobians were looking at him blankly, ragged and disfigured. All the chao were listening except Velocity, who was staring toward Magmatar with his fur on end. "What's wrong, Velocity?" 

The cat screamed and leaped straight up into the air, thus saving Sonic from a swift, terrible death. Leviathan stumbled, regained his balance, and charged the Freedom Fighters. 

The group scattered in all directions, and Leviathan pursued Sonic. The hedgehog ran all out, glad that Leviathan couldn't keep up. The black and silver beast fell behind, silent even on the network. Sonic slowed and glanced back--and was bowled over by Velocity, who was travelling near the speed of sound. The cheetah slowed, turned and came back, flying on his jets. His eyes were blank. 

"Curse you!" Sonic yelled furiously at Leviathan, and dodged the cheetah again. Thinking quickly, he raced back toward the raptor, calculating Velocity's speed against his angle of flight. 

Velocity's steel helmet tore into Leviathan's side, and the monster stumbled sideways. At once his hold on Velocity broke. "Sonic!" cried the cat. "He made me do it, I'm sorry!" 

"It's okay," yelled Sonic, fleeing the premises. "Get away from him!" The hedgehog glanced over his shoulder, and felt a small chill creep along his spine. Leviathan was gone. 

* * *

Serena had reached one of the passages leading to the surface, but had stopped there to see what became of her brother. "It's too dark in here," she complained to Elleno. "I can't see them." 

"And they can't see you, either," replied Elleno sensibly. "Can you believe Velocity was the spy all along?" 

"No," said Serena. "I never even suspected him. Poor Zinc, though! Did you see the look on Zephyer's face?" 

"Yeah, she felt terrible. Hey, you hear that?" Elleno cocked her hedgehog ears. 

"Hear what?" asked Serena, standing up. 

Then Serena went down with a gasping cry under Leviathan's claws. Elleno flew at him, but he shook her off like a fly. "El, help!" choked Serena as the monster's claws sank into her. 

Elleno wasn't strong enough. Her bow and arrows weren't strong enough to penetrate his steel body. Serena would be dead within the next few seconds. The chao stretched, reached for strength beyond that of large form-- 

Leviathan flew aside and smacked into the stone wall. Serena gasped air into her lungs and sat up, feeling the hot blood soak her shirt. "It's not bad," she panted. Then she looked up at Elleno's Ultimate form and her mouth fell open. 

Elleno was a huge griffin with gleaming white armor. Her head and forefeet were those of an eagle, with snowy white feathers. Her hindquarters were those of a lion's, with short tawny fur, and from her shoulders sprang a pair of bronze eagle wings. She looked at Serena with great golden eyes, then sprang away after Leviathan. 

Leviathan attacked the griffin as she approached, but she ripped into him with beak and claws, and he fled. "Serena," said Elleno, returning to her side, "you're bleeding badly. I've got to get you back to Knothole." 

"It's not bad, I want to stay," said Serena stubbornly, standing up. She promptly doubled over in pain. 

"I rest my case," said the griffin. "Get on, and never mind the feathers." Serena obeyed, wondering why she had been attacked and deliriously proud of Elleno for having such a beautiful Ultimate form. "It's a pity the others can't see me," said Elleno, and raced into the passage to the surface. 

* * *

Talon had taken Max and hid. 

The anteater was lying on his belly on a ledge high up on the wall with Max beside him. He had made good use of his shoes. The two had watched Leviathan's moves, and watched him now as he cast about on the floor for someone's trail. "Do you think I could push a rock on him?" Talon whispered. 

"I doubt you could hit him," Max whispered back. "Oh, if only I could tangle with him underwater!" 

"I know, but he's too smart for that. Look, there he goes." The two watched in silence as the black and silver beast glided away. Talon craned his neck to see where he was going, but Max looked toward the fortress. "Talon!" he gasped, his little body stiffening. "Look! It's Her!" 

Talon looked and froze in horror. Kardot was walking down the ramp from the entrance, looking around the cavern. "Why can't Leviathan eat her?" Talon whispered. "She's got a gun or something, see it, Max?" 

"Yeah," Max replied. "Looks like an L.22 pistol. Maybe he called her." 

"To get me, of course. Max, here she comes!" The two ducked, and Talon closed his eyes, hoping she wouldn't spot him. Max, however, kept his eyes on her. The android walked calmly to the wall and looked up toward them. Then she moved a few steps to the side, trying to spot them. Max made eye contact without meaning to, and she smiled. "Hi there, little chao! What are you doing up there?" 

"Hiding," said Max. "Go away." 

"Why don't you and Konya come down?" she crooned, putting a slight emphasis on Talon's name. 

Talon didn't move, eyes squeezed shut and ears flat to his head, so Max said, "He's not here." 

"How did you get up there then?" 

"He put me up here and left. He's over there." Max pointed across the cave with a flipper. 

"Really," said Kardot, smiling like a shark. She raised her pistol. "What would he do if I shot you?" 

"He'd get mad," said Max frankly. 

Kardot pulled the trigger. 

Talon sat up at once and lifted the gasping Max. "I didn't think she'd do it!" wailed the chao. He was bleeding profusely, and his left flipper was almost completely shot away. "Oww! Now I know how Chalcon felt!" 

"Hang on, Max," said Talon softly. "I'll be right back." Then with a yell he leaped off the ledge, dropped and landed heavily on Kardot. 

"Toldja he'd get mad," called Max from above. 

* * *

Sonic stood next to Tails, who was whimpering in pain. "I can't walk, Sonic," moaned the fox. "My tail cramps up my legs. It hurts!" He looked at Sonic, who appeared small and harmless without his hairdo. 

"Do you think you could ride Pilot home?" Sonic asked anxiously. He couldn't stand to see someone suffer. 

"Maybe," Tails replied. "It hurts to sit down, too." 

"I'll go real gentle," said Pilot. The filly stamped a hoof fretfully and swished her tail. She was worried about her master and nervously looking for Leviathan at the same time. Velocity was pacing back and forth nearby, the fur rising and falling in waves along his back. Whatever was happening on the network had him frightened. 

"Come on," said Pilot gently, walking to Tails and kneeling. 

"Do you mind?" Tails asked Sonic. "Would you rather I stay here?" 

"Sort of," Sonic replied regretfully, "but I'll feel better knowing you're safe at home." He boosted the fox as gently as he could onto Pilot's back. The horse stood up and trotted toward the nearest cave exit. 

A flash of darkness whisked by, pursuing Pilot. "Watch out!" yelled Velocity. 

In a twinkling Pilot rose to Ultimate. She whirled and kicked her hind feet. One connected, leaving a perfect horseshoe print on Leviathan's metal shoulder. He leaped at her again, trying to reach the little figure nearly hidden in her mane, but Pilot spun, head down, and ran her horn into his side. Then she tossed her head, lifting the monster off the ground and flinging him across the cave. "Run! Run!" Sonic yelled. Pilot galloped obediently up the tunnel, carrying her master out of danger. 

Leviathan was on his feet again, the wound in his side closing at once. "You will not survive, Sonic," came the voice in Sonic's head. Sonic was tempted to spindash him, but decided against it. Without his quills, he would only hurt himself. He turned to run. 

"Stay there, Sonic!" yelled Knuckles. Where was he? Sonic looked around and saw the echidna flash downward in a freefall from the ceiling. Midway to the floor he extended his arms and went into a drill-spin, and crashed into Leviathan. 

Knuckles thought he had broken his arms. With no dreadlocks to slow his descent, he came down faster than he intended, and his shovelclaws bounced right off the monster's back. All he had done was knock his enemy down. He staggered to his feet, dazed from the force of the impact, but Leviathan was already up. The beast was crouched, muscles tensed, ready to spring, jaws open in a savage hiss. 

Slasher flashed out of nowhere and tore into him from the side. "All right, Slash!" Knuckles cheered, backing away. It amazed him to see how small Slasher was compared to Leviathan. He was enormous. He was also stronger than she was. 

Chimera, Sonic and Velocity ran up to watch the battle. "Should we help her?" asked Velocity. 

"Naw," replied Chimera. "She's got her own chao." 

They watched as Slasher sank her steel fangs into Leviathan again and again, trying to reach his throat, but each time meeting his teeth instead. 

Leviathan spun and lashed his barbed tail into his opponent. Slasher was knocked to the floor, but before she could rise he pounced on her. 

"Where's Chalcon?" Sonic asked wildly, looking around the cavern. 

He spoke too soon. Chalcon was already there in large form, a vivid pink light encircling his brain, visible through his watery hide. He grabbed Leviathan around the neck with his reinforced arm, lifted him and dashed him against the ground. Then he swung him over his head and dashed him against the ground on the other side. This Chalcon did another five times, very coolly, only his arm moving. Then, when Leviathan was sufficiently stunned, Chalcon drew him in and examined his collar. 

Leviathan's clawed hand lashed out, straight through Chalcon's forehead and into his brain. Chalcon melted at once into a puddle, and Leviathan bounded away. 

Slowly Chalcon recollected himself into his large form. "I didn't know he could do that," he said to Slasher. "But I know his weakness now, too." 

He was interrupted by a yell from Velocity. "The second voice!" the cheetah cried in anguish. "It's coming! It's here! It's here! The network is failing!" He punctuated this with an alleycat yowl. 

"Look!" exclaimed Knuckles, pointing. Everyone looked, even Leviathan. 

A giant biotic was stalking across the far side of the cavern, massive arms swinging. It was at least twenty feet tall. As they watched it, it turned its head and looked across the cave at them. "He bids us come to him," Velocity whimpered. 

Slasher and Chalcon looked at each other, and suddenly Slasher's green eyes lit up. "It's okay!" she exclaimed. "Let's go!" She bounded away toward the robot, Chalcon at her heels. Sonic and Knuckles looked at each other in bewilderment, then followed.


	17. Chapter 17

While all this had taken place in one side of Lava Reef, another battle had been in progress on the other side. 

Talon landed a punch to Kardot's jaw, just like Knuckles had taught him. She swiped at him with her claws, but he danced back. Keep her moving, wear her down, she would get tired. The two stared at each other, Talon's brown eyes like hot molasses, and Kardot's eyes yellow with hatred. She ran at him, and Talon jumped aside. Don't let her get close, she'll never let you go. He punched her again and kicked her feet out from under her. Kardot fell with a thud, but was up almost at once, snarling. She leaped at him, arched in midair as he dodged and caught his arm. He sank his claws into her fingers, trying to peel her off before she got a good grip, but it was too late. He hit her in the face with his free hand, but she was grinning. Once she had a hold, she had as good as won. 

Well, that would have been the case, had not Zephyer been there. The echidna ran up to the pair, grabbed Kardot's shoulder, turned her around, and hit her in the nose. The android reeled back, somehow retaining her hold on Talon. Zephyer stalked toward her, eyes like blue ice and teeth bared. "Let him go," she said softly. 

Kardot smiled through bleeding lips. "Hey there babe, where's your chao?" 

Zephyer punched her again, glad for her robotized fists. 

"Get her!" yelled Talon. "She shot Max just to be mean!" 

Kardot released Talon in one smooth motion and wound her hands in Zephyer's long dreadlocks. "You're going to be sorry you hit me," hissed the android, and jerked Zephyer savagely to her knees. Zephyer cried out, helpless. Talon stepped forward, but Zephyer yelled, "Stay away, she'll hurt you!" Talon backed away obligingly. Zephyer saw his eyes focus on something across the cave. He gasped and jogged backward several steps. 

Kardot followed his gaze. Then she screamed, released Zephyer and ran. The echidna sat up, holding her sore head, and saw something huge and hulking racing down upon them. For an instant she thought it was a truck, then she realized it was a giant robot and tried to get out of its way. To her surprise, it swept around her and went after Kardot. There was something odd about it, but Zephyer didn't wait around to find out what. She ran to Talon's side, and they watched the monster run down the fleeing Kardot. 

It was moving much faster than she was, and in a second had knocked her down. It knelt over her, a hulking mass of silver, and rumbled something the spectators couldn't hear. Kardot wailed incoherently in reply. 

"I never heard a biotic talk before," said Talon. "And it's eyes aren't red." 

Zephyer suddenly felt as if her heart had stopped. Her eyes flew to the robot's head. Mounted on its forehead were two long, razor-sharp blades. 

"It's Zinc," she said, laughing, even as tears filled her eyes. "It's Zinc in Ultimate form!" She covered her face with her hands and sobbed, then looked at Zinc again and laughed. Talon looked at her as if she had lost her mind. "Are you okay?" 

As if to prove his identity, Zinc shrank into his usual large form, a silver robot echidna. Kardot's hysterical cries fell silent. A moment later he lifted her to her feet and led her back to be in full view of Zephyer and Talon. His chest was completely fixed, Zephyer noticed. He and Kardot stopped about twenty feet away from the spectators. Zinc turned to Kardot. "This is for what you did to Zephyer." He raised his right arm, and Zephyer was shocked to see that it had become a monstrous energy cannon. There was a blue flash. 

Zephyer whirled, grabbed Talon and covered his eyes. She didn't look, either, but she would hear Zinc's voice saying, "This is for taking the controls of the torture machine." 

Explosion. 

"This is for trying to make me switch masters." 

Explosion. 

"This is for hurting Zephyer." 

Explosion. 

His voice deepened suddenly, and Zephyer knew he had returned to Ultimate. "And last but not least, this is for Talon." The thud of his enormous trampling feet shook the ground underfoot. Then ... silence. 

Zephyer dared look around and saw a smoking black patch and a few twisted metal parts were all that remained of the anteater android. Zinc was in large form again, panting and watching her for a reaction. 

Zephyer released Talon, who saw the burnt floor and let out a whoop. "Zinc, you did it! I gotta tell Max!" He dashed away. 

Zinc looked down, afraid to meet Zephyer's eyes. "Zephyer, I'm a ratfink. I'm sorry about what happened in the lab. I should have told you what I was doing, I knew it looked like I was betraying you." 

"Zinc," said Zephyer, walking unsteadily up to him, "it's not your fault. I'm too suspicious. There goes my voice," he added as it broke. "And I'm sorry I abandoned you!" She threw her arms around his steel neck and sobbed. 

He let her cry it all out patiently. When she began to calm, he said gently, "There's more I need to tell you." 

She pulled back and looked into his digital glass eyes. "What?" 

"Two things," said Zinc. "Number one: I have hacked the biotic network. I'm hooked up and scrambling their Mind as we speak. One of the advantages of being a robot. Number two: do you remember O'Heathe?" 

"The bounty hunter?" asked Zephyer, drying her eyes. "Of course. What about him?" 

"He was paid--by Nash and Kit--to hunt down Leviathan." 

Zephyer moved back a step and stared at her chao. "You're kidding." 

"No. I have been helping him from the first by telling him what our missions would do, so he could plan his hunts around them. He was the one Chimera caught me talking to." 

It was too much for Zephyer to take in. She could only stare. 

Zinc cleared his throat. "Anyway, we have to dispose of Leviathan somehow. Come with me." He rose to Ultimate form, an giant armored robot with an echidna head, and gazed across the cavern, calling across the network. 

* * *

Knuckles checked his watch as he ran with Sonic. "Sonic!" he yelled in panic, "we've got twenty minutes left until this places goes under!" 

"How fast does it rise?" asked the hedgehog, dropping back to run beside his friend. 

"Real fast," Knuckles replied, "like water under pressure. If you're in here when it goes off, you're toast. We'd better work fast." He looked apprehensively at the hulking silver robot. 

Suddenly Talon flashed by overhead, his shoes alight against the dark void of the ceiling. "It's Zinc, sir!" he called down to Knuckles. "He's in Ultimate, and he just destroyed Kardot!" 

Velocity, running at Sonic's side, grinned. "It's him! He's on the network! He's arguing with the Master, and all the biotics are in confusion!" 

In a moment the group was together again at Zinc's feet. He returned to large form, and was pounded on the back by Mobians and chao alike. Sonic admired the gun on his arm, and Zinc showed him it was really the sheet-of-metal gun that Knuckles had swiped from the weapons factory. "We stopped by Knothole on our way out here, to stock up on weapons," he added. "Now, everyone but Zephyer, Knuckles and Chimera must leave this cave. Leviathan must have as few targets as possible." 

Sonic started to argue, but Velocity gave him a silencing look. "All right, all right," said the hedgehog. 

"Us too?" asked Chalcon, who had been standing silently beside Slasher. 

"Yes," Zinc replied. 

"Then let me tell you something," said the Chaos chao, and murmured something in Zinc's ear. Zinc looked at him, startled, then nodded. 

A few minutes later Zephyer, Knuckles and their chao were alone in Lava Reef with Leviathan. "Why us?" asked Zephyer. 

"I have a plan and I need you," Zinc replied. "Knuckles, can you still climb?" 

"Yeah, why?" asked the echidna. 

"You'll be the bait," said Zinc. "Chimera, can you go to Ultimate?" 

"No," replied the dragon. 

Zinc stared at him, dumbfounded. "You can't? Nevermind then, you will." Then the silver chao lowered his voice and outlined his plan to the three. 

"That's seriously your plan?" said Chimera. "How do you know his weakness is his collar?" 

"Trust me," Zinc replied. "Now move. We have to do this before the cave floods." 

* * *

Leviathan watched them from a distance. He was intelligent to the point of genius, and he knew everything they had ever done to the other Mecha-bots. He could not summon his armies because Zinc had the signal jammed, but that would soon be remedied. Leviathan was a superior lifeform. His body was sinew and steel, his brain was the synthetic equal of any biological brain. He had been trained and honed to perfection by his old Master, Robotnik. He could anticipate any attack, and nothing could hurt him. And he was very proud. To strip his enemies of their weapons was to put them beneath him, as one day the world would be. One day the world would be a utopia of cyborgs, and biological life and the filth that went with it would be swept away. 

But for not, the puny biologics were plotting to overthrow him. He watched everything. He saw Zinc and Zephyer station themselves near a strip of lava not covered by his fortress. He saw Knuckles climb the wall near it. What a trap. Did they underestimate his powers so much? 

The air changed a fraction. No living being could have detected it, but Leviathan sensed it and swivelled his head toward the biggest cave entrance. Here was something new. It appeared to be another echidna with a small gold chao walking beside it. Leviathan bared his teeth in a ghastly smile. One more Mobian to destroy. He paced toward the newcomer, and his own doom. 

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" whispered Zephyer. She was standing at the edge of the lava pool, the intense heat beating against her face, her metal reflecting the orange light. Zinc stood beside her, also gleaming in the orange light, and both were watching their enemy stalk the bounty hunter. 

"Positive," replied Zinc. "Mecha-bot five has been outsmarted. He just doesn't know it yet." 

O'Heathe was unperturbed at Leviathan's approach. He dropped to one knee, lifted the sniper rifle he had picked up in Knothole when Zinc had taken him there, aimed and fired. The robot raptor jumped at the sting of the bullet and broke into an incredibly swift run, red eyes burning in his steel mask. O'Heathe fired again and again, cool as a cucumber in the face of the monster's charge. Every round struck home. Ballux the gold chao stood beside his master, watching indifferently. It was not until Leviathan was almost within springing distance that Ballux darted forward, leaped almost into Leviathan's arms and rammed his bull-horns into the collar. 

Leviathan stopped, staggered as if in pain, swatted Ballux away and ran instead toward the group at the lava pool. Behind him, O'Heathe rose and walked after him, reloading his rifle. Ballux trotted at his side, unhurt. "Right on schedule," muttered Zinc with a small smile. "Now his pride will come into play. 

On the wall above the lava pit, Knuckles tightened his grip on the stone and watched over his shoulder. If only it would work. But instincts and common sense were screaming that it wouldn't work, he was going to die. A few feet away, Chimera crouched on the ground, wings quivering anxiously. 

Leviathan reached the edge of the pit at a flat run, and leaped. He sailed across the twenty feet of space, all his claws aimed for Knuckles. The echidna held still, his nerves screaming for him to move, to defend himself, not sit there with his back exposed to attack. But he held still anyway. 

Chimera launched himself into space, his lungs filling for a monumental fireball. He knocked into Leviathan in mid-air and snorted fire into the beast's face. Leviathan was jarred off course, struck the wall a few feet away from Knuckles, and dropped straight into the lava. 

"Get away from it!" yelled Zinc. "Now! Hurry!" He didn't have to say it twice. Knuckles was scrambling to get off that hot wall, and Chimera had already flown back. Leviathan was struggling and splashing in the pool, trying to hit the spectators with it. 

"Do we run?" asked Zephyer. 

"Not yet," said Zinc. Still, the pair backed away from the lava pit. Knuckles bounded to the floor and bolted to them, Chimera at his heels. "Ten minutes," he panted. "Can we do it?" 

"We'd better!" said Chimera vehemently. 

A lump of glowing lava flung itself out of the pit, and the four jumped. "Anytime," called Zinc, seeming nervous for the first time. O'Heathe and Ballux walked up, O'Heathe with his rifle trained on the glob. The glob was fading to dark red, and was rapidly reshaping itself into a raptor. Leviathan shook the lava off like mud and stood before them, whole and only slightly dented. "Clever," he snarled, and dove for Knuckles. 

The echidna ran, and Chimera leaped into Leviathan's path. The raptor gave him a deadly kick that sent him flying, almost without breaking stride. "Chimera!" cried Zephyer, running to him. "Are you okay?" 

The dragon snapped at her hands, and she yanked them away. "I'm fine," he snarled. "Outta my way!" He jumped to his feet and bounded after Leviathan and his master. 

"I wasn't expecting this," said Zinc, gazing after the three with a worried frown. "Whenever he's hurt, he changes targets, or so I thought. He was supposed to have come after me next!" 

"Then improvise!" exclaimed Zephyer. 

Knuckles was running as hard as he could across the ribbed basalt floor, trying not to twist an ankle, trying to stay ahead of his pursuer. But Leviathan was relentless, and did not tire. Before long the echidna began to pant, his fear growing into terror. He couldn't escape! He swerved and tried to swing back toward his friends, but Leviathan read his intent and swerved, too, cutting the echidna off. "If only I had Sonic's speed," Knuckles growled. He wouldn't go down without a fight, but the monster was invincible, and he doubted he would survive such an encounter. 

Without warning Knuckles's toe caught on a ridge in the floor, and he smacked down on his hands, cutting his palms. He started to scramble up, but Leviathan was already upon him. The raptor crushed him to the ground and crouched to literally bite his head off. 

Chimera had been trailing the pair all the while, but his legs were too short for much speed. He saw Knuckles stumble and Leviathan leap toward him triumphantly, and realized he was too weak to help. Fiery rage enveloped the chao's heart. He liked Knuckles (he never allowed the word 'love' to enter his mind), and everything in him screamed that he stop the enemy from taking Knuckles's life. The dragon's muscles bulged, his legs lengthened, his body expanded, his wings grew to gigantic proportions. He didn't realize he had reached his Ultimate form, but he did sense that he was much faster. In two bounds he was upon Leviathan. The giant red dragon snatched up the robot in his jaws and shook him like a rag doll. Then he snapped him into the air and torched him with a jet of flame. 

Knuckles sat up, slightly stunned, mouth hanging open. Chimera was a giant red dragon with yellow scales on his underbelly, and a frill of thick horns around the back of his head. He had to be twenty-five feet tall, and he was furious. He leaped after Leviathan, his body coiling lizard-like with each bound, his bat-wings held above his back fiercely. Occasional he clapped them together with a sound like tarp snapping in the wind. 

Time was running out. There were only five minutes left until overflow, and the lava was beginning to bubble ominously. Leviathan was powerless before the dragon's wrath, but Chimera could not harm him. The cyber raptor simply repaired himself over and over. 

"Chimera!" Knuckles yelled. 

The dragon turned his spike-studded head and roared, "Yeah?" 

"Throw him to O'Heathe! We've got five minutes!" 

Chimera obligingly picked up Leviathan in his jaws, crunched his teeth through the hull, then flung Leviathan across Lava Reef. 

O'Heathe was ready, watching Leviathan through his rifle scope. The robot raptor struck the ground and rolled to a stop. It would take him several seconds to repair the damage of the dragon's fangs. O'Heathe fired. The raptor's silver collar sparked a fraction of an inch away from the green light. Leviathan raised his head and glared at the bounty hunter, jaws open in a snarl. O'Heathe fired again, the sweat trickling down his face. This time he struck the green light itself. Leviathan shivered and gave a soft squeal. 

"I was hired to kill you," said the bounty hunter through his teeth, jacking another shell into the chamber, "and I'll bloody do it!" 

"Let me get it!" cried Ballux the gold chao, dancing from foot to foot. "I can get it!" 

"Go for it!" called Zinc from a shot distance away. He spat his emerald into his hand and threw it as he shrank to small form. Ballux caught the clear gem, looked at it a moment, delicately wiped it off, then put it in his mouth. 

The gold chao grew to a gold creature in gold armor; something like a small tyrannosaurus, but with triceratops horns over each eye. He waved his master back, then ran at Leviathan. The cyber raptor leaped unexpectedly into his face with a screech, and the two immediately locked in battle. Leviathan was strong, but so was Ballux from years of living with his master, and the strength he possessed in his chao form was carried over into his large form. He slammed the enemy beast to the floor with a crash, then rammed a horn into the raptor's collar. He twisted his head and wrenched the metal outward, even as Leviathan gave a horrible scream. The golden chao reached out and twisted the green thing free, a diamond-shaped stone. Then he walked back to his master. His work was done. 

Leviathan stood up, the twisted remains of his collar sparking and not healing. "I may die," he snarled, "but you will die, as well. I offered you the opportunity to evolve to a higher plane of existence, and you refuse! You are all fools." His legs folded under him and he collapsed to the floor as his energy ebbed. "I may die, but my legacy will live on," he hissed weakly. "You will all ... die ..." The silver spiked head dropped to the floor. The red eyes dimmed and faded to black, and the biotic network vanished as if it had never been. 

So perished the worst dictator Mobius had seen since Robotnik. 

"Get out!" yelled Knuckles from a distance. "Time's up! Run! Run!" 

Ballux crouched and allowed O'Heathe to swing up on his back, and ran like the wind for the nearest cave exit. Zinc, once more a little silver chao with spikes on his face, threw himself into Zephyer's arms, and she ran, too, leaving the sheet-of-metal gun lying on the floor behind them. Behind them them, bubbling orange lava spread across the floor, and deep underground there was a distant throbbing of moving magma. 

Amazingly, everyone made it. The six raced up the dark, winding tunnel, Chimera once more a small dragon, Ballux still a powerful reptilian beast, Zinc a panting chao clinging to Zephyer. Behind them came a jovial slurping sound as the lava licked into the passage. 

After another ten minutes, and the six were winded from running uphill, daylight appeared at the end of the tunnel. A moment later the echidnas burst out into friendly afternoon sunlight and gasped the fresh, tree-scented air into their lungs. 

There they rested, sprawled in the sun, letting the light and air wash away the darkness and fear of Magmatar. After a while, Ballux returned to chao size and gave the white emerald back to Zinc. "Thank you," said the gold chao with a short bow. "We might have all been killed had you not given that to me." 

"You're very welcome," replied Zinc. "I had planned on it, actually. That's why I kept Zephyer nearby, because I can't outrun lava in small form." He smiled up at his mistress. 

Knuckles stood up and shaded his eyes with one hand, pretending he wasn't vastly relieved Zephyer had emerged from the ordeal unhurt. "Where are the others?" 

O'Heathe rose and imitated him, scanning the horizon. "Look, a splash," he said, pointing to the coast. "They're down there." 

The two echidnas and crossbreed made their way to the beach, their chao trailing. There they found that they had not been the only ones engaged in battle. Biotic parts littered the white sand. In the distance, carried by the breeze, came shouts and voices. As they drew nearer, they beheld an odd sight. 

Biotics by the hundreds were standing about like silver mannequins. Slasher and Sonic were pushing and shoving crowds of them into the ocean, Velocity and Chalcon frisking to and fro like little kids. Talon was hovering in the air with a notepad and pencil, keeping tally, and Max in Ultimate form, like a great green whale, ripped apart the incoming robots, creating the massive splashes O'Heathe had spotted. 

Talon saw them first and yelled something to Slasher and Sonic. The pair dropped the biotic they were handling and ran down the beach toward the echidnas, their chao galloping ahead. Max shrank to large form and crawled up on the beach, his flipper completely healed. 

The reunion was loud and happy, everyone trying to talk louder than everyone else. Even the stolid O'Heathe cracked a smile when Sonic pounded him on the back and congratulated him on making the killing shot. "So what are you guys doing?" Knuckles called over the hubbub. 

"Well," said Slasher, looking over her shoulder at the robots, "all the biotics on the island lost their mind, heh heh. They're not good for anything, so we were feeding them to Max." 

"I don't eat them," said Max from Talon's side. "I just chew them into pieces. I've got a couple of sperm whales helping me. Biometal rots real fast in seawater, so the whales tell me." 

"How many are there?" asked Zephyer, quite impressed. 

Talon flipped through his notepad. "Well, there were two-thousand, eight-hundred thirty-six," said the anteater, "but we're down to one thousand nine hundred thirty-three." 

"Enough about us!" Sonic broke in impatiently. "I want to hear about you! How'd you kill mister Mecha-bot? We were afraid Robo Knux helped him." 

"Robo Knux?" asked Knuckles, raising an eyebrow. "He wasn't down there." 

"Was too," said Sonic. "We saw him go down, and a while later he came back up with an armful of trash." 

Zephyer, Knuckles and O'Heathe shook their heads. They had been so busy they hadn't even noticed. 

* * *

Evening came to the Floating Island, resting peacefully in the water. The group and the chao rested and talked, drawn together into a team by the events of the past year. Max explained that as soon as he had went to Ultimate, his flipper had completely healed. Zinc agreed with him, and said that the only reason he had survived after Zephyer had left him was to go to Ultimate, which seemed to repair all forms below it. "It took me a long time, though," said the silver chao. "First I dragged myself down to Robo Knux's base and radioed Knothole to warn them of the invasion." 

"Oh, so it was you!" said Sonic with a grin. "I should have guessed. I thought I recognized that voice." 

"Yeah," said Zinc enthusiastically, "then I sat there and figured out how to go to Ultimate." He leaned against Zephyer's knee and smiled at her to show there were no hard feelings. She smiled back, a little guiltily. She hadn't quite forgiven herself for her bull-headed move. 

O'Heathe reached into his vest and pulled out a bag of coins. He tossed it on the ground. "My fee," he said. "That scoundrel who hired me didn't tell me it was blood money. I don't want it." 

"We won back Riverbase," said Knuckles without touching the bag. "Keep it. Leviathan paid good money to have himself assassinated." 

"It's blood money," said the bounty hunter stubbornly. "A fine city with fine people died to give me that bag, and I don't want it." 

Slasher picked up the bag. "All right, then, we'll take it. Keep the sniper rifle in exchange for your services." 

O'Heathe looked down at the gleaming blue barrel of the rifle, caressed it, then nodded. "Done." 

"Well," said Sonic, standing up and brushing sand off his backside, "we'd better get home. I want to see how Tails and Serena are doing." 

"Serena?" asked Zephyer suddenly. "I forgot about her! What happened?" 

"Got attacked, I understand," replied Sonic, patting his shaved quills for the thousandth time. "Elleno went to Ultimate and flew her home. She came out right before you guys got done and told us. She's this really cool griffin--you should see her." He grinned. 

The others stood up, too, brushing the sand off. "C'mon, w e'll use the teleporter," said Knuckles "It's getting dark, anyway." 

* * *

Tails's tail was bandaged and resting in a sort of reverse-sling. He greeted the chao warriors with Pilot prancing beside him. Serena's wounds he been bandaged, and aside from moving stiffly, she was fine. Elleno escorted her everywhere, anxiously offering to help her with everything, like a doting mother hen with one chick. 

Eagle's Nest was the current headquarters of the village, although a few brave souls had already returned to Knothole. There they found it filled with zombified biotics who dotted the area like silver statues. The network was gone, and with it the voice that tormented Velocity night and day. The little indigo chao was normal again, and quite happy. 

That night, just before Knuckles returned to the island-bound teleporter, O'Heathe pulled him aside. "Look," said the half-breed, digging into his pocket, "did you see what that beast used for power?" 

"No," said Knuckles. He had disliked the bounty hunter at first, simply because of his deformed appearance, but was trying to get over it. O'Heathe seemed like an honest Mobian, his job notwithstanding. Knuckles's opinion of him shot up several notches when O'Heathe extended a thick, many-fingered hand and dropped something into Knuckles's palm. 

The green glow shown richly in the summer twilight. It was a small, pyramid-shaped gem, its top smoothly cut. For a long second Knuckles thought it was the eighth chaos emerald, and stood stunned, staring. O'Heathe said gruffly, "They got it out of the ocean. I believe it belongs to you." 

Then Knuckles made the connection. Years ago, when Robotnik had stolen the Master Emerald, he had cut off the bottommost tip to make it fit his laser. The fragment had been lost when the Death Egg went down, and here it was again, beyond all hope, resting against the folds of his glove. Leviathan had been powered by the Master emerald. No wonder he got as close to Hidden Palace as he could. 

Knuckles shook O'Heathe's hand firmly. "Thanks," he said. The bounty hunter nodded, tipped his hat, then walked away into the forest, Ballux trotting beside him. 

* * *

To all appearances the adventure was over. The lava sank in Lava Reef, leaving the vast cavern re-shaped and very warm. The fortress of Magmatar was gone completely, as was the body of its creator. 

Metal Sonic and Robotnik were transported politely from the village, Robotnik blindfolded and Mecha off-line. Pilot and Elleno carried them out of the Great Forest, across hundreds of miles and down to Ironhedge, an inland city that didn't bat an eye at evil dictators. The two winged Ultimate chao returned home, giggling to each other. 

The massive amount of mindless biotics was a problem, and it was solved by Chalcon, Max and Chimera. The three chao would send word to an area to move all the robots to the coast. Chimera the dragon would herd them into the water, then Chalcon would go to Ultimate, a giant dragon made of water astonishingly like Perfect Chaos. He would sweep all the robots into the ocean, and together he and Max would dispose of them. They checked the rotting biotics for hazardous chemicals frequently, but the robots were made of biodegradable materials that didn't hurt anything. 

One day, weeks and weeks after the death of Leviathan, and the three dragons had taken care of the massive biotic problem, a visitor came to Knothole. 

He was an elderly human with gray hair and glasses, and he had come on an unwelcome mission--to retrieve the secret weapon. 

Sally welcomed him into the community hut, where the best chairs were located. The man sat down in an armchair. "Thank you, Miss Acorn. I am Professor Cornwell, and I must thank you for taking such care of the chao. It grieves me to have to part you with them." 

Sally smiled her best diplomatic smile. "The village will be sorry to see them go. You might say we got a lot of use out of your weapon." 

The professor's eyes widened behind his glasses. "You used the weapon?" 

"Yes," said Sally, then hesitated. Something wasn't connecting. "Weren't the chao the weapon?" 

The professor leaned back in the chair and laughed. "Oh no, the chao weren't the weapon! They were part of an experiment to test environmental changes on a chao's genetic structure. Three other sets of chao were dispatched to different areas of the world, as well. Didn't you read the letter?" he added, sobering. 

"I don't think so," said Sally, embarrassment settling in. 

"Do you still have the basket the eggs came in?" asked the professor. 

"I think so," said Sally, glad for an excuse to step outside for a moment. "I'll get it." 

The squirrel retrieved the wicker basket from a shelf in her hut, by now dusty from long disuse, and brought it to her visitor. He opened the lid, pulled out the straw, and revealed something taped securely to the bottom of the basket. Sally caught her breath. 

"You missed it entirely!" said the professor in disbelief, ripping the little package free. He unwrapped it and revealed a sealed envelope and a little plastic film cannister. He handed the letter to Sally and pocketed the container. Bewildered, Sally opened the envelope, pulled out a sheet of official-looking paper, and read: 

To whom it may concern: 

Please follow all included chao instructions. Contained are seven (7) chao eggs, to be hatched as indicated. They are section 2A of an experiment to explore chao genetic alterations under different climates. They must be returned after eighteen (18) months of growth. 

The cannister enclosed contains microfilm blueprints of the famed Death Egg. These were apprehended at great risk to our operators. Guard them with your life. They are to be returned to our representative when he arrives. 

The C.H.A.O. Co. 

Sally looked up at her visitor. "I'm sorry we didn't take better care of those blueprints ..." 

"Nevermind, they were kept quite safe," replied Professor Cornwell, pushing his spectacles up the bridge of his nose. "The reason we sent them to you was that Dr. Robotnik had taken up residence practically on our doorstep. We didn't want our research to fall into his hands." He rose stiffly. "I am truly sorry I must take the chao from you," he said, looking Sally in the eye. "But you can't give them the care they really need like we can, down in Sapphire City. You may come visit anytime, of course, and the chao may come here once in a while." 

Sally nodded. "Thank you, professor." She didn't own a chao, so why was there a lump growing in her throat? 

* * *

This news did not sit well with the chao or their owners. The commonest lament was, "If I had known we had to give them back, I wouldn't have wanted one!" 

Of all of them, it was Sonic who understood the best. He had seen how chao were raised in the chao gardens, and he had seen how their own adventure had taxed the hearts of the seven chao to the limits. It couldn't be healthy for them. He sat down all his friends and their chao, and lectured them about this. He agreed that the chao would like it much better in Sapphire City. Grudgingly the others agreed. By the next morning, when it was time to leave, the chao were almost cheerful. 

They piled into the back of the hovercar, a mass of color in small form, for of course they had had to give up their emeralds. "Goodbye!" they chorused as the engine started up. Almost all of Knothole hollered and waved as the hovercar pulled away. 

"Bye, see you next summer!" Sonic called. Then he grinned at Serena, who had tears pouring down her face. Almost all her quills had grown back, and Sonic's own were almost their original length. "It's okay, 'Rena," he told her. She looked up at her brother, smiled through her tears, and waved to the vanishing vehicle. 

"We'll see them again, don't worry," Sonic told her as the crowd dispersed. "As sure as my name's Sonic." 

And of course, Sonic was right. But that's another story.

The End


End file.
